With over three percent of the global population infected by the virus, India along with rest of the world will observe World Hepatitis-C Awareness Day Saturday.

"Hepatitis C is a blood-born viral infection of the liver. The liver swells and if not treated early, one might require a liver transplant or further develop liver cancer," said Sanjay Jain, senior consultant of gastroenterology and hepatology at Apollo Hospital here.

"Though there are several types of hepatitis, the 'C' type is most vulnerable and can happen at any age," Jain told.

"Nearly 80 percent of hepatitis C cases are chronic of which nearly 20 percent develop cirrhosis. Of these, about 1-4 percent are prone to liver cancer."

Jain said there are no vaccines yet for hepatitis C.

The causes of transmission of the virus are almost similar to those of HIV/AIDS - blood transfusions, unsafe sex and use of infected syringes.

According to available data, in India alone, 10.9 million people have chronic hepatitis C. National trends indicate a sizeable concentration of hepatitis C cases in the northeast.

Among the metros, 400,000 Delhi residents are suffering from the disease and Mumbai accounts for 300,000 cases. Gujarat also carries a patient load of 337,000.

The disease today affects 170 million people worldwide and every year the number of newly infected increases by three to four million.

Going by sheer numbers, hepatitis C has outpaced the HIV/AIDS menace in India. Approximately 30 percent of HIV patients also simultaneously suffer from hepatitis C.

"Hepatitis C treatment is one of the challenges that we need to take on seriously. The number of cases in India that require treatment is increasing at a very rapid pace," said G.L. Telang, managing director of Roche Scientific Company India Pvt. Ltd.

"Today, with innovations in technology such as Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2A, 80-90 percent of people with hepatitis C can be successfully treated. Data of four years follow-up has shown that 98 percent of patients are still disease free.

"However, we believe that it is essential to raise awareness and detection to combat the spread of the disease," Telang said.