World Liver Day is observed on 19th April every year. This all started in the year 2010 when European Association for Study of the Liver (EASL) decided to mark this day as the World Liver Day
World Liver Day is observed on 19th April every year. This initiative began in 2010. The European Association for Study of the Liver (EASL) decided to mark this day as the World Liver Day. This day commemorates the founding of EASL in 1966. The day marks an occasion to enlighten the public about the risk and causes of liver disease. It focuses on its prevention, including diet and lifestyle modification. The day also highlights the available treatment modalities.
Most Liver Disease Starts Silently — Early Screening Is Key,” Says PGI’s Dr. Ajay Duseja
Most chronic liver disease (CLD) patients typically do not have any specific symptoms in the initial stage of CLD. They require screening and surveillance based on their risk factors, said *Prof. (Dr.) Ajay Duseja, Head of Dept of Hepatology, PGIMER Chandigarh*.
He said that three common causes of CLD seen in PGI are alcohol related liver disease (ALD). Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD – fatty liver disease) is another cause. Chronic viral hepatitis (Hepatitis B and C Viruses) is also a common cause. The department of Hepatology has always been in the forefront in organizing various public awareness and screening and surveillance activities.
Transient elastography is a non-invasive modality to screen for liver fat and fibrosis (scarring). In the past, the department has organized elastography and viral hepatitis screening activities for PGI employees. This was stated by Dr Sunil Taneja, Additional Professor, Department of Hepatology, PGIMER, Chandigarh. There are certain high-risk groups for liver disease. Among many such groups, those who abuse alcohol and inject drugs are very common high-risk groups. On this world liver day, we plan to screen such patients for the presence of liver disease, said Dr Duseja.
PGIMER’s World Liver Day Drive Puts Spotlight on Liver Health”
He said that patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and persons who inject drugs (PWIDs) will work with the department of Hepatology. This will be in collaboration with the department of Psychiatry. These patients attend the drug de-addiction and treatment centre (DDTC) at PGI. They will be screened for the presence of hepatitis B and C infections. They will also undergo elastography of the liver to look for liver fat and fibrosis (scarring). This activity will start on the occasion of world liver day. It will continue for the next few weeks until enough of these patients have been screened, said Dr Duseja.
Every year the World Liver Day comes with a theme and this year’s theme is ‘Food is Medicine’. The theme is relevant. There is a close relationship between the food we consume and the risk of liver disease, said Dr Madhumita Premkumar, Additional Professor, Department of Hepatology, PGIMER, Chandigarh. She said that food does affect the gut bacteria, which are related to the occurrence of liver disease through gut-liver axis and changing the gut health. Both the quantity and quality of food affect liver health by causing malnutrition. This includes both over-nutrition and under-nutrition. Both of these increase the risk of liver disease, said Dr Nipun Verma, Additional Professor, Dept of Hepatology PGIMER Chandigarh.
“Want a Healthy Liver? Watch What—and How Much—You Eat, Say Experts”
Overnutrition typically causes overweight and obesity. It increases the risk of metabolic diseases like diabetes (blood sugar), hypertension (high BP), and dyslipidemia (abnormal blood lipids). These conditions put patients at risk of developing fatty liver disease, said Dr Arka De, Associate Professor, Dept of Hepatology PGIMER Chandigarh. Thus, for good health, it is very important to have a balanced quantity and quality of food. A diet consisting of whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables is considered healthy. It also includes moderate intake of dairy and carbohydrates. It is important for a healthy liver to restrict sugar and fat intake. This is especially true for saturated and trans fats, said Dr Naveen Bhagat, Assistant Professor, Dept of Hepatology PGIMER Chandigarh.
Most liver diseases, including the three common ones (ALD, fatty liver, and viral hepatitis), are related to an unhealthy lifestyle. Therefore, making people aware of a healthy lifestyle is important for a healthy liver, said Dr Sunil Taneja. There is a large burden of liver diseases globally and in India and there are not enough hepatologists (liver doctors) in the country to look after these patients with liver disease said Dr Madhumita Premkumar. Dr Nipun Verma emphasized that prevention is crucial. Efforts to prevent these diseases are better than trying to cure a large number of such patients.
INASL Launches Liver Health Awareness Drive
In this direction, Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL) has formed a taskforce on ‘Preventive Hepatology’ with an aim to make all sections of society aware about the preventive measures of common liver diseases, said Dr Duseja who is the national Secretary-General of INASL. He said that it is good to catch them young and thus making children and adolescents aware of preventive measures may be more fruitful. In its maiden attempt, INASL- Taskforce on Preventive Hepatology and department of Hepatology, PGIMER Chandigarh organized a ‘Liver Health Awareness Program’ in Delhi Public School, Chandigarh on 17th April, 2025.
Experts Enlighten DPS Students on Liver Health and Hepatitis Awareness
During the program, Mrs. Reema Dewan, Director of DPS Chandigarh and Mohali, thanked INASL and the Department of Hepatology for organizing this awareness initiative. She addressed her gratitude to them for conducting the session for students of classes 10 to 12. Dr. Duseja, the chairperson of the national taskforce, explained the initiative to the students and highlighted the importance of such programs.Additional Professor, Dept of Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS Dr Ajeet Bhadoria, , Rishikesh who is also the convener of the taskforce spoke about the causes, routes of transmission and preventive measures for viral hepatitis predominantly focusing on hepatitis A and B virus.
Dr Arka De, Associate Professor, Dept of Hepatology PGIMER Chandigarh spoke about the causes and preventive measures for fatty liver disease covering both alcohol related fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and also covering the theme of world liver day i.e. ‘Food is Medicine’.
“Good Food, Healthy Liver: Why Access Still Matters – Insights from PGIMER Awareness Drive”
Even though good quality and quantity of food is so important for good liver health, in certain areas accessibility and affordability to good quality food may be a challenge, said Dr Naveen Bhagat, Assistant Professor, Dept of Hepatology PGIMER Chandigarh. Around 500 persons, including the students, teachers, and staff of DPS, Chandigarh, attended the awareness program.
The department of Hepatology will continue to organize such awareness and screening programs for the better liver health of the community.
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