About hepatitis and the World Hepatitis Alliance in the WHO WPRO region

The Western Pacific accounts for 40 per cent of all chronic viral hepatitis cases worldwide¹, with 109 million people living with hepatitis B and 13.8 million with hepatitis C². More than half a million people die as a result of viral hepatitis or related complications in the region each year^2. Thanks to widespread immunisation programmes, the region has made good progress towards reducing the prevalence of hepatitis B among children, achieving the 2017 regional goal of reducing prevalence to less than 1 per cent in children under the age of five³. Coverage of the birth dose vaccine within 24 hours is 88 per cent, the highest of any global region².

The World Hepatitis Alliance has more than 35 members across 10 countries in the WHO WPRO region. These members work tirelessly to advocate for hepatitis elimination, to raise awareness, and to deliver testing and vaccination services in a range of contexts. You can find out more about them on the World Hepatitis Alliance’s website.

^{1 https://www.who.int/westernpacific/health-topics/hepatitis
2 Data: CDA Foundation’s Polaris Observatory; 2020 [updated on 17 April 2020], Accessed 17 August 2020 
3 https://www.who.int/westernpacific/health-topics/hepatitis/implementation-progress-of-the-regional-action-plan-for-viral-hepatitis-in-the-western-pacific-2016-2020/regional-action-on-viral-hepatitis}

Member Activity: Australia

Hepatitis NSW

People with lived experience of viral hepatitis were placed centre stage in Hepatitis NSW’s World Hepatitis Day activities. A news media interview with speakers with lived experience received local, regional and Australia-wide coverage. People with lived experience also spoke alongside sector leaders and health and research experts on Hepatitis NSW’s online World Hepatitis Day event.

Hepatitis NSW also delivered a popular and well-received workforce development training programme for sector workers and health professionals, and provided health and hepatitis information directly to underserved communities.

They also continued their eye-catching “Clear the Path” campaign — which aims to raise awareness of the hepatitis C cure — at various locations across New South Wales.

Hepatitis WA

Hepatitis WA’s 2020 World Hepatitis Day campaign allowed them to reach new audiences. As well as creating an animation for the WHA virtual relay, they launched an innovative coffee cup campaign which saw 25,000 coffee cups printed with messages encouraging people to get tested for hepatitis C distributed to cafes and outlets across the local city and the state.

They also produced a video that played on a prominent screen in their local city’s central business district throughout World Hepatitis Day, and organised games and prizes for clients of their needle syringe programme (NSP) clients.

Watch Hepatitis WA’s virtual relay video

Member Activity: New Zealand

The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand

This World Hepatitis Day, the Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand launched a podcast series entitled ‘Let’s Talk Liver’. Hosted by community hepatitis nurse Jacki Seaward, the podcasts features nurses, patients and health care professionals talking about liver health.

In addition, the Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand is running a morning tea competition for GPs and pharmacists aimed at increasing awareness of viral hepatitis among medical professionals. 

Kaohsiung Research Association for the control of liver disease 

Due to the impact of COVID-19, Kaohsiung Research Association for the control of liver disease has had to cancel the planned public health education lecture. However, they were able to conduct a unique and meaningful visit to Yixiang Liver Care Clinic. 

Residents of Laiyi Township were able to come to the clinic for a comprehensive screening and liver health checks. In addition, Kaohsiung Research Association for the control of liver disease participated in the press conference on hepatitis C policy organised by the Central National Health Administration.