World Hepatitis Day 2024: ‘It’s time for action’
The 28th of July is World Hepatitis Day, a global campaign to raise awareness and galvanise action towards eliminating viral hepatitis.
Across Australia, there are nearly 300,000 people who live with chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Of this total number, around 200,000 are people living with hepatitis B. While there have been tremendous developments in the treatment and prevention of both hepatitis C and B in recent years, much work remains to be done. As recent viral mapping reports, around 75 percent of people living with hepatitis B are not being supported by the health system to receive regular care; and over 25 percent of people living with chronic hepatitis B infection have not been supported to access testing and therefore remain undiagnosed, and potentially unaware of their infection.
The vision outlined in the draft Australian hepatitis B and hepatitis C strategies for 2023-2030 reaffirms the aim to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. This goal requires continued investment in research, healthcare, education and, most importantly, in community organisations that represent and serve affected communities. This sentiment is reflected in the theme for this year’s World Hepatitis Day: ‘It’s time for action’. Much great work is underway, but without continued investment to improve access and eliminate barriers to testing, care and treatment, the 2030 goal is unlikely to be met.
Health+Law is working to build a much-needed picture of what the legal barriers to testing, treatment and quality of life are for affected people by speaking to people living with hepatitis B about their experiences of the law and engagement with care. In our national legal needs study (LeNS), we have spoken to people across Australia living with hepatitis B, who have identified the particular problems they face and have emphasised the great deal of complexity and misinformation they are compelled to navigate. As the emerging findings from our work show, more action on the legal problems that affect the lives, health and wellbeing of people living with hepatitis B is urgently needed to realise the 2030 goal.
Hepatitis Australia is the peak national community organisation advocating for people living with hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and a Health+Law partner. Ahead of World Hepatitis Day, Darryl O’Donnell, interim CEO of Hepatitis Australia highlighted the progress made to date toward achieving elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030.
In 2018, Australia set seven targets for hepatitis B to achieve by 2022, but only one target – childhood vaccination – has been met. People affected by viral hepatitis encounter many legal barriers to testing, care, and treatment that are still not fully understood. It's time for Australia to take action. Hepatitis Australia is proud to collaborate on the Health+Law project, which aims to tackle these challenges and drive necessary change.
Hepatitis Australia have created a useful Australian Hepatitis Factsheet for this year’s World Hepatitis Day, as well as a directory of World Hepatitis Day events taking place around Australia, and resources that people can access for support.
Everyone can take action this year on World Hepatitis Day. Find out how to get involved here.
Further reading:
World Hepatitis Day website: Australia's World Hepatitis Day 2024
World Hepatitis Day factsheet
Blog post: Interview with Lien Tran at Hepatitis B Voices
Blog post: Interview with Salma Safi at PEACE Multicultural Services