Across the globe, about 300 million people are living with viral hepatitis and don’t know it. (For perspective, the population of the entire United States is 327 million.) World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is marked each July 28. This year’s campaign is not only an opportunity to raise awareness of the liver virus but also a call to action to “find the missing millions” of people who don’t know their status and link them to care.

Viral hepatitis—specifically hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV)—is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, according to the World Hepatitis Alliance, which spearheads WHD. Viral hepatitis is responsible for 1.34 million deaths a year and causes two out of every three liver cancer deaths.

The good news is that there’s a cure for hep C and a vaccine and treatment for hep B. That’s why it’s important for people to get tested for hepatitis. After all, they can’t access treatment and a cure if they don’t know they have the virus. What’s more, people who are aware of their status can take steps to ensure they don’t transmit it.

The World Hepatitis Alliance created a video for WHD 2019. It’s posted at the top of this article and can also be viewed here. Visit the alliance’s website to download and watch the film in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Romanian, Georgian and Vietnamese. Sharable graphics, media kits, reports and more are also available on the website.

To learn the basics of hepatitis on HepMag, a sister publication of POZ magazine, click here.