H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori) is one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide. It is a gram-negative bacterium, colonizes the gastric mucosa in approximately 50% of the human population. 

An infection with H. pylori is the major risk factor associated with the development of gastric cancer. It therefore has been classified as a group-1 carcinogen by the WHO. 

Early treatment of the infection reduces the risk of developing serious stomach diseases such as peptic ulcers, gastric MALT lymphoma and gastric cancer. 

In 2020, the number of new cases of gastric cancer is estimated at 1.1 million and the mortality rate at 770,000. By 2040, the number of new cases of gastric cancer is expected to increase to 1.8 million and a mortality rate  at 1.3 million.