On July 28, our local team conducted an information and awareness campaign on viral hepatitis and liver disease, proposing HIV, HBV, and HCV rapid tests at Place Dauphine in Strasbourg, in collaboration with SELHVA (Service Expert de Lutte contre les Hépatites Virales d’Alsace / Expert Service in the fight against viral hepatitis in Alsace).
On the occasion of July 28, France 3 published an article about the activities of our regional association and our fight to eradicate hepatitis C in France by 2030: https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/bourgogne-franche-comte/doubs/eradiquer-l-hepatite-c-en-france-d-ici-a-2030-avec-du-depistage-en-quelques-minutes-c-est-l-objectif-de-cette-association-3192327.html
The local team led 4 special events as part of World Hepatitis Day:
On July 30th, our team conducted an information and awareness campaign, proposing rapid tests and FibroScan® screening, in partnership with COHEP (Coordination Hépatites Occitanie / Occitania Hepatitis Coordination), at a Red Cross mobile medical unit in Grau du Roi.
The team celebrated WHD creating awareness in their community.
The team at DDAS had an open day to celebrate WHD. Their immunisation clinic also delivered hepatitis B vaccines and conducting DBSTs.
For World Hepatitis Day, Alliance for Public Health shared a publication telling the story of their Alliance’s 13-year journey in the fight against hepatitis C. The publication highlights key moments and results — and shows what we can achieve together. Read here.
On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day in 2025 in Ukraine, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the State Institution “Public Health Center of the MOH of Ukraine” initiated a seven-day information campaign called “Week of Fighting Viral Hepatitis.” The aim of the campaign was to raise public awareness about the transmission, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of viral hepatitis B and C, as well as to address the stigmatization of the disease.
Throughout the week, social media and mass media at the national and regional levels systematically covered information about available services for the diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis В and C in Ukraine, as well as local patient pathways at the regional level. In order to fight stigma and discrimination against people living with viral hepatitis B and C, part of the activities was aimed at debunking myths prevalent in Ukrainian society about transmission routes, risk groups for viral hepatitis infection, and services for the diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis B and C. Special attention was given to the personal stories of patients who had progressed from diagnosis to recovery, which help to overcome social stigma and promote understanding that hepatitis C is curable and viral hepatitis B can be controlled.
On July 28, representatives of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the State Institution “Public Health Center of the MOH of Ukraine”, State-owned Enterprise “Medical Procurements of Ukraine,” State Institution “Kyiv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention,” and NGO “Academy of Family Medicine of Ukraine” held a joint press briefing at Media Center Ukraine dedicated to the topic of fighting viral hepatitis. They discussed the epidemiological situation in Ukraine regarding the prevalence of viral hepatitis, access to screening services for viral hepatitis B and C, vaccination against viral hepatitis B, especially among children, access to treatment for viral hepatitis B and C, and the availability of medicines for the treatment of viral hepatitis В and viral hepatitis С at the national and regional levels.
From July 28 to August 3, 2025, in 24 government-controlled regions of Ukraine, regional СDCs actively participated in educational and preventive activities, including street campaigns, mobile testing, and outreach activities. To coordinate the activities of regional CDCs, the Public Health Center of the МOH of Ukraine conducted a series of regional meetings and webinars, during which specialists from CDCs and medical institutions were acquainted with the key principles of viral hepatitis В and viral hepatitis С testing in line with the latest WHO recommendations, regional patient pathways, and mechanisms for collaboration among healthcare facilities to ensure barrier-free access to viral hepatitis diagnostic and treatment services for patients testing positive during outreach events. Special emphasis was placed on issues of quality communication and accessible dissemination of information about viral hepatitis by medical workers to the general population.
In particular, to ensure the dissemination of reliable and accessible information on viral hepatitis, the WHO Country Office in Ukraine, together with the Public Health Center of the МOH of Ukraine, developed, printed, and distributed over 162,000 informational materials. These materials provided guidance for patients on accessing diagnostic and treatment services for viral hepatitis, as well as on viral hepatitis В vaccination, and were distributed during informational and educational events.
In addition, communications and public relations specialists from the CDC, regional and local authorities, and representatives of medical institutions organized interviews and media appearances, briefings, and roundtable discussions on fighting viral hepatitis within the regions.
Thus, under the coordination of the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, regional CDCs organized and carried out over 6,500 informational and preventive events across 24 regions of Ukraine. In particular, more than 16,000 individuals were tested for markers of hepatitis B and C during 100 mobile testing sessions conducted using mobile clinics.
In addition, informational and educational events were organized in beauty salons, medical institutions, and workplaces where there is a potential risk of hepatitis B and C infection during professional activities. Specifically, lectures were conducted for employees of the National Police of Ukraine and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. As part of these events, medical workers held discussions on the possible routes of transmission of viral hepatitis B and C during the provision of services or performance of duties, methods of protecting staff and ensuring the safety of clients, and distributed printed information materials.
Given Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the systematic attacks on populated areas, and the proximity of certain communities to active combat zones experiencing constant shelling and assaults by Russian forces, access to medical services for the civilian population has significantly deteriorated. In particular, some communities currently lack inpatient facilities for primary and outpatient medical care. Therefore, the organization of mobile testing in such communities with the involvement of mobile clinics, where services are provided by multidisciplinary teams including nurses and qualified doctors, improves the population’s access to testing for viral hepatitis.
