Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination

Today’s official side event at the 79th, “Elevating Hepatitis Elimination on the Global Political Agenda: From World Health Assembly to United Nations General Assembly,” brought together Ministers of Health and global leaders to call for a UN High-Level Meeting on viral hepatitis by 2028. Speakers underscored both the human toll and the opportunity ahead. Presenting the latest Global Hepatitis Report, Dr. Funmi Lesi reminded participants of the devastating long-term impact of viral hepatitis and the urgent need for action. Country leaders shared powerful commitments to elimination, including Malaysia and Brazil’s pledge to strengthen global collaboration, while Ghana’s Director General of Health Services, Dr. Akorieya, delivered a deeply personal call to ensure that “no individual is left behind.” Hon. Dr. Manouda Malachie of Cameroon introduced a ministerial statement supporting elevated global political engagement—including working towards a UN High-Level Meeting on viral hepatitis by 2028. Want to revisit the discussion? Watch the full recording: https://buff.ly/hOH6aUx Read the press release: https://buff.ly/TFUR7t5 #WHA79 #HepatitisElimination #GlobalHealth

Happening today at the 79th: “Elevating Hepatitis Elimination on the Global Political Agenda: From World Health Assembly to United Nations General Assembly” With the 2030 elimination targets fast approaching, Ministers of Health and senior leaders from across WHO regions are coming together to turn data into action and strengthen global commitment to hepatitis elimination. Inspired by the latest Global Hepatitis Report, this high-level gathering is focused on accelerating progress toward a hepatitis-free future. Don’t miss this historic conversation—watch the livestream directly from Geneva. 🔗 https://buff.ly/hOH6aUx #WHA79 #HepatitisElimination #GlobalHealth

On National Hepatitis Testing Day, one message is clear: expanding access to testing and treatment must remain a public health priority. A new Roll Call feature highlights how the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination and Prisma Health are working to close gaps in hepatitis C care through a major new initiative launching this year across 60 clinical settings in six states—including opioid treatment programs. Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the initiative aims to expand hepatitis C testing and treatment for communities too often left behind. Testing is the first step toward cure—and toward elimination. 🔗 Read more: https://buff.ly/mLkb4rs

Hey LinkedIn Family– we see you working hard! But don’t forget: your liver works hard for you every day. 💙 On National Hepatitis Testing Day, commit to one simple step to protect your liver and your life: get tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Millions of people in the U.S. are living with hepatitis B or hepatitis C without knowing it. Many people have hepatitis without symptoms, which means testing is often the only way to know your status. Early diagnosis can help prevent serious liver disease and connect people to care and treatment. Knowing your status matters. https://buff.ly/aRBm2FP #HepatitisAwarenessMonth #NationalHepatitisTestingDay #KnowYourStatus

May 19th is National Hepatitis Testing Day in the US. That means today is a great day to sign up for our upcoming webinar: "The role of quantitative HBsAg testing to guide hepatitis B treatment in the US: A global perspective" Learn more and register: https://buff.ly/hp7LoMC This webinar will explore the role of qHBsAg in assessing response to therapies such as pegylated interferon and nucleos(t)ide analogues, current antiviral regimens, as well as its potential role in guiding emerging functional cure strategies. Participants will explore evidence on qHBsAg as a potential predictor of disease progression, including hepatocellular carcinoma risk, and examine the rationale behind recommendations from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the European Association for the Study of the Liver and the use of this test to guide care for patients with hepatitis B in Asia. The session will also address the current U.S. testing landscape, the status of FDA approvals of these tests, and where qHBsAg is available through major laboratories in the United States.

Happy Friday! Here’s a thread 🧵 on viral #hepatitis around the world: #HepNews #HepC #HepB #HCV #HBV 📰 The International News Pakistan announces the launch of Pakistan’s national hepatitis C elimination program, which aims to screen 1.6 million people in Islamabad within six months and expand nationwide in phases. Pakistan has the world’s highest hepatitis C burden, with an estimated 10 million people living with the virus. The critical program marks a huge step forward, providing free screening and treatment to prevent millions of infections and deaths while helping Pakistan reach hepatitis C elimination goals by 2030. https://buff.ly/iuCxsEN Read our Elimination Profile for Pakistan: https://buff.ly/SGGBcED 📊 A study co-authored by COR-HEPB research director Gibril Ndow in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that a rapid hepatitis B test could help identify pregnant women who need treatment to prevent transmission to their babies in The Gambia. The test performed well without requiring costly HBV DNA laboratory testing. The findings show how simpler, lower-cost tools could help expand hepatitis B prevention in antenatal care programs in low-resource settings. Link to: https://buff.ly/CGnSKdP https://buff.ly/Y2CE9zE 💉 Contagion Live highlights The Lancet comment co-authored by CGHE’s John Ward warning that removing hepatitis A from routine childhood vaccination in the United States could lead to more outbreaks and preventable illness. The authors note that widespread childhood vaccination has reduced hepatitis A cases in the US by more than 95% since the 1990s and warn that weakening vaccine recommendations could reverse decades of public health progress. https://buff.ly/KMZ0aHs to: https://buff.ly/ZoU5dPU 📰 An op-ed in The Hill warns that changes to hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine recommendations in the United States could lead to more infant infections, deaths, and long-term healthcare costs. The article points to new studies estimating that even short delays in vaccination could reverse decades of progress in preventing hepatitis B transmission. The piece also raises broader concerns about declining confidence in newborn preventive care and the public health impact of weakening routine vaccine recommendations. https://buff.ly/vDrLYUi Read more about the study: https://buff.ly/lmcF7Ip 🎙️ A Pharmacy Times podcast featuring Marilyn Bulloch highlights the ongoing burden of hepatitis B and the importance of adult vaccination. The discussion emphasizes that hepatitis B vaccination is also cancer prevention, since chronic infection can lead to liver cancer. Pharmacists have a role in improving vaccine access, addressing misinformation, and helping more adults complete hepatitis B vaccination series. https://buff.ly/biqQVe4 Visit our page on hep B vaccination for adults: https://buff.ly/PZ5eLpT

"When advocacy, leadership, and partnership come together, real change is possible." Tanzania takes a major step forward in #hepatitiselimination.

One Week Away at WHA! Watch Live from Geneva: Elevating Hepatitis Elimination on the Global Political Agenda: From World Health Assembly to United Nations General Assembly May 20 @ 12 noon EDT (6 pm CEST) This Ministerial gathering at the 79th World Health Assembly unites Ministers of Health and senior mission and Ministry representatives from all WHO regions to turn data into action. Inspired by the latest findings in the WHO Global Hepatitis Report, this meeting is more than a discussion—it is a mobilization aimed at bridging the gap between current progress and a hepatitis-free future. Don’t miss this historic event. Watch the livestream directly from Geneva: https://buff.ly/hOH6aUx

What if one biomarker could help transform how we guide hepatitis B care? Join The Coalition for an upcoming webinar exploring the growing role of quantitative HBsAg (qHBsAg) testing in hepatitis B treatment and management. From treatment monitoring and disease progression to emerging cure strategies and the current U.S. testing landscape, this session will bring together global perspectives on one of the field’s most rapidly evolving topics. 🔗 Register now: https://buff.ly/hp7LoMC #HepatitisB #GlobalHealth