A medical doctor is urging people to go for tests and vaccination against hepatitis today, as the world marks the International Hepatitis Day.

Dr. Orumo Francis, a professor at the college of Medicine in the University of Juba, says the most common types of the disease in South Sudan are hepatitis B and C.

He says statistics showed that there was an increase in cases of hepatitis, with almost six percent of the population infected in 2011.

Dr. Francis says testing and vaccination is the only way to avoid hepatitis.

“The virus of hepatitis is one of health problems in our country South Sudan,” Dr Francis warned.

“People should know that there is a disease called hepatitis. People must go for checkup at the familial level and if they don’t have that disease, they must take vaccination.”

Dr. Francis says there are studies being done to know the current number of people who are infected with hepatitis in the country.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by viruses and can lead to serious health problems and death.

The World Health Organization says about 1.4 million people globally die every year because of viral hepatitis.