Today, July 28, marks World Hepatitis Day and World Nature Conservation Day, which aims to draw public attention to the need for a careful attitude towards the environment, writes UNN.
World Hepatitis Day
Every year on July 28, World Hepatitis Day is celebrated, which helps raise awareness of the disease, its prevention and treatment. The main focus is on hepatitis B and C, as they cause more than 90% of deaths.
In 2022, according to WHO, 254 million people suffered from chronic hepatitis B, and 50 million from hepatitis C. More than 2 million new cases are detected annually. About 1.3 million people die from complications, including cirrhosis and liver cancer - this is more than from HIV and on par with tuberculosis.
Before the full-scale war in Ukraine, about 5% of the population was infected with hepatitis C (3.6% - in chronic form), and another 1.5% - suffered from chronic hepatitis B. Most do not know about the disease, so they do not undergo timely diagnosis and do not receive treatment.
World Nature Conservation Day
This annual environmental holiday aims to emphasize the importance of preserving the natural environment, rational use of resources and protection of biodiversity. The initiative was launched after the UN Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. It was then that a number of key international agreements were signed, including the World Heritage Convention, which laid the foundations of modern nature conservation policy.
The main goal of World Nature Conservation Day is to draw public attention to the need for a careful attitude towards the environment. This is not only about preserving forests, reservoirs or wildlife, but also about a conscious attitude towards consumption, minimizing the harm that humanity causes to ecosystems.
Today, World Nature Conservation Day unites the efforts of governments, public organizations and ordinary citizens. This is an opportunity to draw attention to environmental problems, conduct eco-actions, plant trees, clean up garbage in parks or near reservoirs.
Day of the Holy Apostles Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon and Parmenas
On July 28, Orthodox believers in Ukraine, according to the New Julian calendar, honor the memory of the holy apostles from among the seventy - Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon and Parmenas.
These disciples of Christ were among the first ministers of the Church - deacons, whom the apostles chose to serve in the community of Jerusalem. They cared for the needy, distributed food, and also helped organize the life of the Christian community.
Prochorus was one of the closest disciples of the Apostle John the Theologian. He helped with the organizational affairs of the community and was appointed bishop in Nicomedia. After John's exile to the island of Patmos, Prochorus returned to Nicomedia and actively preached until he died a martyr's death. Nicanor was also an active figure in the early Church. His death was also associated with the persecution of Christians, although the exact circumstances are unknown. Timon received episcopal ministry in the city of Bostra (modern-day Jordan). There he preached the Gospel, but his path ended through cruel torture - he was killed for his faith.
Parmenas is the least known of these four saints. Historians suggest that he died a martyr, but almost no reliable information has been preserved.