Global Hepatitis Webinar – One life, one liver

28 July 2023 13:00 – 15:00 CET
Webinar

Scaling-up the testing and treatment of viral hepatitis towards the 2030 elimination goals.

On World Hepatitis Day (WHD) 2023, WHO will host a global webinar in collaboration with partners worldwide, to raise awareness on the viral hepatitis epidemic. The theme for WHD 2023 is “One life, one liver” and it is positioned to illuminate the importance of the liver to the hepatitis elimination agenda.

One of the key features of the event will be highlights from the second and updated 2023 version of the country elimination validation guidance which incorporates the lessons and feedback from the implementation pilot conducted in all WHO regions, as well as experiences from other countries. This revised guidance establishes for the first time a global criterion for Path to Elimination (PTE) for hepatitis B and C for Members States that have made significant progress towards viral elimination but have challenges achieving 2030 targets due to a high baseline burden or absolute targets of incidence or mortality.  

The PTE describes a step-wise progression through the prevention, diagnosis and treatment coverage from bronze to silver to gold tiers and will promote an iterative expansion of programmes and strengthening of measurement systems towards demonstrating 2030 elimination impact targets. Several countries are eligible for these tiers and are already actively engaging to commence the official process of validation.

The webinar will feature WHO leaders and high-profile speakers in a multi-stakeholder discussion to share country examples and solutions that highlight the importance of the liver for a healthy life and the need to scale up viral hepatitis prevention, testing and treatment to optimize liver health, prevent liver disease and achieve the 2030 hepatitis elimination. It will highlight the importance of a public health elimination approach and upcoming complementary guidelines update that has the potential to change the trajectory of the hepatitis B response.

Date and time

28 July 2023, 13:00 – 15:00 pm CET

Webinar agenda

13:00–13:25

Welcome remarks & opening address 

  • Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director–General, WHO;
  • Dr Jérôme Salomon, Assistant Director–General, Universal Health Coverage/Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO;
  • Dr Kate O’Brien, Director, Immunization, Vaccines and Biological Department, WHO; and
  • Dr Meg Doherty, Director, Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes, WHO

13:25–13:30

Person testimony with lived experience 

  • Joshy Pacayra, Yellow Warriors, Philippines

13:30–13:50

High level global, regional and country remarks and lessons 

  • Dr Khaled Abdelghafar, Minister of Health and Population, Egypt;
  • Dr Baseer Khan Achakzai, Director General Health, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, Pakistan; and
  • Dr Ahmed Al–Mandhari, Regional Director, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern–Mediterranean.

13:50–13:55

Person testimony with lived experience

  • Anton Basenko, European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG)

13:55–14:10

Panel 1: new hepatitis guidance and recommendations

  • Path to elimination guidance (PTE) for country recognition – Dr Funmi Lesi, Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes, WHO; and
  • Expanding public health access for Hepatitis B and C – Dr Philippa Easterbrook, Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes, WHO

14:10–14:15

Updates from WHO regional offices – video (part 1)

14:15–14:50

Panel 2: facilitated multistakeholder panel: Commitment to the hepatitis response and plans towards 2025

  1. Country experiences:
    • Dr Li Jang, Director HCV Division, China CDC, China
    • Dr Adebobola T. Bashorun, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria 
  2. Partners:
    • GAVI– Vaccine Alliance
    • Sir Finn Jarle Rode, Executive Director, The Hepatitis Fund
    • Danjuma Adda, President, World Hepatitis Alliance
    • Lee Abdel Fadil, Senior Disease Advisor, The Global Fund

14:50–14:55

Updates from WHO regional offices – video (part 2)

14:55–15:00

Closing remarks

  • Dr Meg Doherty, Director, Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes, WHO