Hepatitis B

WHO Releases Global Policy Report on Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis

In advance of World Hepatitis Day (June 28), the World Health Organization (WHO) this week released its first country-by-country hepatitis survey, covering viral hepatitis prevention and control efforts in 126 member states.

According to WHO, around 240 million people worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and around 150 million have chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Hepatitis A and E viruses are food-borne and water-borne infections that cause millions of cases of acute illness each year, but do not cause chronic infection. Hepatitis B and C together are responsible for more than 75% of liver cancer worldwide, and viral hepatitis causes an estimated 1.4 million deaths annually.

The full Global Policy Report on the Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis in Who Member States is available online. The World Hepatitis Alliance also provides access to the report data via an interactive website.

Starting in 2012, WHO, in collaboration with the World Hepatitis Alliance, conducted a survey of member states, asking about their policies on viral hepatitis. About 65% countries -- 126 in all -- responded to the survey. Overall, it found that 37% of countries have national viral hepatitis strategies, but more work is needed, especially on expanding treatment.

According to WHO, the report "identifies successes as well as gaps at country level in the implementation of four priority areas" -- raising awareness, evidence-based data for action, prevention of transmission, and screening, care and treatment.

"As hepatitis viruses show great diversity in their prevalence and modes of transmission in different parts of the world, policies and strategies for prevention and control need to be tailored to the specific national or sub-national context," WHO Director-General Margaret Chan wrote in the report's foreword. "The 2010 World Health Assembly resolution [WHA 63.18] urged member states to generate reliable information as a foundation for building prevention and control measures that match the local epidemiological profile and health system capacities."

Chapter 1 provides an introduction to viral hepatitis and global response, chapter 2 offers a global overview of the survey findings, and chapters 3-8 present findings from the 6 WHO regions, including summaries of data from all responding countries.

"Many of the measures needed to prevent the spread of viral hepatitis disease can be put in place right now, and doing so will offset the heavy economic costs of treating and hospitalizing patients in future," said Sylvie Briand, WHO Director of Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases. "The findings underline the important work that is being done by governments to halt hepatitis through the implementation of WHO recommended policies and actions."

In June of this year WHO launched the Global Hepatitis Network, which aims to support countries in planning and implementing viral hepatitis plans and programs. WHO is also exploring ways international funding agencies can include hepatitis in their current programs.

7/31/13

Reference

World Health Organization. Global policy report on the prevention and control of viral hepatitis. July 2013. http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/global_report/en/index.html.

Other Sources

World Hepatitis Alliance. Global policy report on the prevention and control of viral hepatitis. http://global-report.worldhepatitisalliance.org/en/.

World Health Organization. WHO urges governments to act on hepatitis threat. Press release. July 24, 2013. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2013/hepatitis_threat_20130724/en/.