Overview
28 July is declared World Hepatitis Day (WHD) – one of nine urgent International Health days highlighted by the World Health Organisation and partners across the globe:
- WHD highlights the urgent action needed by governments, health workers and the community to prevent deaths from viral hepatitis through eliminating hepatitis B and C by 2030.
- Across the country and globally we need to continue to raise awareness and reduce the stigma and discrimination of the condition which affects close to 500,000 Australians.
- We work with a range of partners to host events, including events for the general public, researchers, scientists and clinicians and “at risk communities” where the prevalence of viral hepatitis is high.
Why July 28?
The date of 28 July was chosen for World Hepatitis Day (WHD) in honour of the birthday of Nobel Laureate Professor Baruch Samuel Blumberg, discoverer of the hepatitis B virus and developer of the first hepatitis B vaccine based on research of the Australia antigen.
World Hepatitis Day 2021
The global theme for World Hepatitis Day 2021 is ‘Hepatitis Can’t Wait’
Why does this matter:
- Currently in Victoria hepatitis C treatment uptake is not on track to meet the National Hepatitis C Strategy target of 65% treatment uptake by 2022. Treatment numbers are declining over time
- The National Hepatitis B Strategy target of people engagement in Hepatitis B care 50%. Currently in Victoria only 23.1% of those living with hepatitis B are engaged in care
- Liver cancer is the fastest known increasing cause of cancer death in Australia.
#HEPCan’twait
