OCTOBER: Vol 40 Voice hepYour monthly magazine from the World Hepatitis Alliance

WHA welcomes new members

WHA and UNITE partner to combat viral hepatitis hepinion: Global funders must join the fight for hepatitis elimination

WALL OF STORIES “Being a survivor, it is now my duty to protect future generations.” Note from our CEO Contents Stay connected Welcome to hepVoice. It has been an www.worldhepatitisalliance.org exciting couple of months for the World Hepatitis Alliance and the global hepatitis Regulars [email protected] community. In September I attended the United Nations High-Level Meeting on 4 hep Headlines www.facebook.com/worldhepalliance Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Thanks to advocacy led by WHA viral hepatitis was @Hep_Alliance included in the UHC Political Declaration 5 Dates for the diary signed at the meeting. Civil society will @worldhepatitisalliance now play a crucial role in advocating for Features countries to make hepatitis elimination a cornerstone of their UHC responses. Read 6 WHA welcomes ten new more on page 10. members Service integration will be key for countries Want to contribute? in their UHC responses. This month WHA 8 WHA and UNITE partner to gathered support for an open letter to combat viral hepatitis We welcome your contributions so the Global Fund to urge the proactive please get in touch at exploration of areas in which hepatitis programmes can be integrated 10 Universal Health Coverage: [email protected] to with existing HIV/AIDS, and programmes. The letter, what it means for hepatitis have your news and stories included in signed by over 800 people, was sent to the Global Fund on the eve of their future issues and feel free to share this replenishment meeting in Lyon where they raised US$14 billion for the fight 11 NOhep’s Global Fund magazine with your networks. against HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. You can read more about our campaign campaign on page 11. 12 : Global funders Partnerships will be another cornerstone of UHC. Working together we can hepinion must join the fight for hepatitis achieve more, and to that end WHA is delighted to announce partnerships with elimination UNITE, the global policymakers network, and IAPAC, the organisers of Fast- Track Cities. These partnerships will help to accelerate hepatitis elimination; Don’t you can read more about them on pages 8 and 14. 14 WHA and IAPAC announce Fast-Track Cities Partnership miss out - receive You may have noticed that hepVoice has had a small makeover. Last month hepVoice we asked for your feedback on how we could improve the magazine and I 16 Wall of Stories: Surender straight to would like to thank you for all the comments that you gave us. We have Kumar decided that we will be running the magazine in a similar format for the your inbox! remainder of 2019 whilst we make exciting changes to how you receive hepVoice in the future as we look to make it accessible on different platforms and in different languages.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this issue of hepVoice. Cary James

2 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 3 identified Municipality, where 70 interventions are not as a growing health people were diagnosed carried out. challenge in Upper with the virus. headlines Dolpa, Nepal Dr KC also noted that the “One in four people increase in hepatitis B Over 20 per cent of people is likely to be found cases can be explained in hep who attended a health positive with hepatitis part by a lack of hepatitis Hepatitis is regularly making the news thanks to the efforts of camp in one of Nepal’s B in Upper Dolpa”, said B for infants. WHA members. Here are a few highlights. 77 districts have been Dr Sudhamshu KC, a diagnosed with hepatitis senior liver Click here to read more. specialist at Bir Hospital Almost 100,00 people Dr Helen Harris, Senior new cases B. More than 300 people in Kathmandu. He added Scientist at PHE, said, every year, it is estimated visited the health camp in UK unaware they are that the situation is only “Anyone who may be that 40,000 people in in Dolpo Buddha Rural living with hepatitis likely to worsen if timely at risk of , in Taiwan are living with the England particular those who have virus. (PHE) have announced ever injected drugs, even if that tens of thousands they injected only once or The cure rate for hepatitis Dates for the Diary of people in the UK are twice in the past, should C has increased in Taiwan, unaware they are living get tested. Given that new and Ministry of Health Upcoming events and activities taking place in the with hepatitis C. treatments provide a cure and Welfare official, Pu in around 95 per cent of Ruo-fang, credits a new coming months. Data from 2018 showed those who take them, hepatitis C drug for the that around 143,000 there has never been a improvement. After the 8 - 12 November people in the UK were better time to get tested.” drug was added to the The Liver Meeting, Boston, USA living with the virus. list of National Health The Liver Meeting® is the American Association for the Study of the Liver’s (AASLD) However, up to 95,600 Click here to read more. Insurance-covered annual event, which brings together 9,500 attendees from around the world to people may be unaware medicine, the cure rate for exchange the latest hepatological research, discuss new developments in treatment they have it, preventing Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) the infection reached 98.5 outcomes, and network with other experts in the field. Find out more here. them from seeking sets target to eliminate per cent. treatment. hepatitis by 2025 In total, 9,538 people 19 November People who believe they The Executive Yuan (the were cured by this drug World Toilet Day may have been at risk of executive branch of in 2017, and a further The theme of World Toilet Day 2019 is “Leave no one behind”. Access to adequate contracting hepatitis C the government of the 20,000 people were cured sanitation is key to avoiding the spread of hepatitis A and E. Find out more here and are being advised to take Republic of China on after the government join in the conversation using #WorldToiletDay. a quiz on the Hepatitis C Taiwan), has announced increased subsidies for the Trust website to find out if drug. their goal of eliminating Participating in a they should be tested. PHE 1 December hepatitis as a health hepatitis related is especially urging anyone Click here to read more. threat by 2025. This is five activity or have an who has ever injected World AIDS Day years ahead of the World event planned? drugs to take the quiz. Health Organization’s World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to (WHO) goal. unite in the fight against HIV and to show support for people living with HIV. More than five million people living with HIV Email us or contact us on social media. With an average of 7,000 also have hepatitis B or C, so it’s important to come together and tackle these epidemics together. Find out more here and join in the conversation using #WorldAIDSDay. 4 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 5 WHA welcomes

10 new members Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Croatian Association for HIV and viral Hepatitis Asia Pacific Ltd (CEVHAP) (CAHIV) WHA has recently welcomed ten new members to the Based in Singapore, CEVHAP has previously worked with WHA. CAHIV’s work centres on tackling both HIV and viral hepatitis in Croatia. A member organisation in their own right, they bring together In 2013 they founded CheckPoint Zagreb, offering free and anonymous organisation, which now the collective knowledge and expertise of their membership in testing for blood borne viruses. Along with the Ministry of Health in represents 291 members their advocacy efforts, education and knowledge building and Croatia, they organise and provide psychosocial support services for those across 93 countries. policy research to help build national action plans. Follow living with viral hepatitis too. They also work with medical professionals them on Facebook here and Twitter here. and have developed a mobile app about hepatitis, and organise educational symposiums. You can follow them on Facebook here.

Health and Development Initiative

The Health and Development Initiative is our second member in Gambia. They Zemma Awareness Initiative use the first six Sustainable Development Goals as the basis of their constitution Nigerian-based Zemma Awareness Initiative conduct community awareness to improve healthcare across their country, performing community outreach and programmes and hold screening camps for both hepatitis B and C. They sensitisation activities, and referring people for . They also celebrate recently vaccinated over 200 people in their community, whilst also carrying out each year. Follow them on Facebook here and Twitter here. awareness-raising activities. They are already members of the Viral Hepatitis Association of Nigeria. You can follow them on Facebook here. Great Lakes Peace Center

The Great Lakes Peace Center is based in Uganda. They are a youth-led International Network on Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) organisation promoting peace through youth empowerment, and have a range of priorities including hepatitis elimination. They carry out hepatitis INHSU is a non-profit based in Switzerland. They are a membership organisation comprised awareness-raising activities within their local community. You can follow of clinicians, research experts and other global stakeholders. They have previously partnered them on Facebook here and Twitter here. and collaborated with WHA. Follow them on Facebook here and Twitter here.

TB HIV Care MED Charitable Trust Originally an HIV-focussed non-profit, TB HIV Care expanded to include viral MED Charitable Trust’s core activities include awareness-raising, free hepatitis in their remit four years ago. Based in South Africa, they run ongoing screening camps and counselling services for both patients and their families. programmes for people who use drugs. They have taken an active role in advocating Based in India, their mission and vision sets out their aim to act as the for and supporting the development of an improved national response to hepatitis, conduit between the scientific community and patients, ensuring patients are and recently led on a cross-sectional viral hepatitis prevalence survey in key correctly informed throughout their journey from diagnosis to clearing their populations. Follow them on Facebook here and Twitter here. hepatitis C infection. They also carry out scientific research in order to fill data gaps.

Sufabel Community Development Initiative WHF Yemen Sufabel is based in Nigeria. Their activities include advocacy, training, awareness- WHF Yemen is our first member from Yemen. They have celebrated raising and capacity-building. They have also taken part in several World Hepatitis previous World Hepatitis Days and are keen NOhep supporters. They Days. You can follow them on Facebook here. are working to ensure elimination in their country by 2030. Follow them on Facebook here and Twitter here.

6 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 7 Dr Ricardo Baptista Leite, MD, MP. and civil society have the tools and WHA and UNITE partner to “Parliamentarians have an important knowledge they need to have an role to play in hepatitis elimination. effective relationship. In doing so, we By working together with the World can help strengthen health systems combat viral hepatitis Hepatitis Alliance, we empower a and ensure that the patient voice is network of parliamentarians to make represented at all levels of health a real difference. Our recent success policy development.” in advocating for the inclusion of viral hepatitis in the Universal Health The two organisations have signed Coverage Political Declaration is a a Memorandum of Understanding, great start to our partnership.” confirming their commitment to working together in joint advocacy, World Hepatitis Alliance CEO, Cary awareness-raising, accountability James, added: “This partnership promotion, political will mobilisation with UNITE will help us to work with and political leadership support policy makers at the highest levels to to achieve the elimination of viral make a real difference. We will also hepatitis by 2030. work to ensure that policy makers About UNITE Created under the auspicious of UNAIDS, UNITE is a non-profit, non-partisan, global network of current and former policymakers from state, national and regional parliaments committed towards the elimination of HIV/AIDS, viral Hepatitis and other infectious The World Hepatitis Alliance The two organisations collaborated as public health threats by 2030. (WHA) and UNITE, the global with other stakeholders to parliamentarians network to successfully advocate for the inclusion of viral hepatitis within end HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis the UN Political Declaration on UHC and other infectious diseases, which was adopted at the HLM announced a new partnership in on UHC. The President of Georgia, September, ahead of the United Salome Zourabichvili, also made Nations (UN) High Level Meeting specific mention of hepatitis in her (HLM) on Universal Health address to the HLM, highlighting Coverage (UHC). Georgia’s progress towards the elimination of viral hepatitis.

“UNITE is delighted to be working with the World Hepatitis Alliance,” said UNITE founder and president Salome Zourabichvili, President of Georgia, . delivering Georgia’s official statement at the UN High Level Meeting on UHC. 8 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 9 NOhep campaign urging Global Fund to join fight against hepatitis Universal Health Coverage: attracts widespread support what it means for hepatitis More than 800 individuals and organisations joined NOhep’s call for - by Cary James, WHA CEO included in the Political Declaration the Global Fund to prioritise and proactively support the integration on UHC which was signed by world of viral hepatitis with their existing HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria On Monday 23 September I attended leaders at the High Level Meeting. programmes. the United Nations (UN) High This is the start of an increasing focus Level Meeting on Universal Health on UHC in the coming months and Our open letter was sent to the board of the Global Fund on the eve of Coverage (UHC) in New York to years, and it is vital that we keep its sixth replenishment meeting, held in Lyon, France on 9-10 October. represent WHA members. hepatitis high on the UHC agenda.

It was heartening to hear hepatitis To help you understand UHC, how An extract from NOhep’s letter to the Global Fund mentioned in addresses from the it relates to hepatitis, and what President of Georgia, the President you can do to help ensure this new of Egypt, and the Prime Minister of commitment to hepatitis elimination “We urge the Global Fund to prioritise and proactively support the Bhutan at this prestigious event. is turned into action, we have put integration of viral hepatitis within existing HIV, TB and malaria I was also delighted to see that together a short briefing on UHC. I programmes and respectfully call on all development partners and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh also hosted a live broadcast on UHC donors to join the fight for viral hepatitis elimination. By working Hasina, has been awarded the and hepatitis which you can catch up together we will achieve hepatitis elimination and avert over 7 million Global Alliance for Vaccination and on here. Immunisations (GAVI) Vaccine Hero deaths by 2030. award in recognition of Bangladesh’s WHA and UNITE host side meeting at The Global Fund replenishment campaign ‘Step up the Fight’ is asking outstanding success in vaccinating UN High Level Meeting on UHC children against diseases, including people to make a pledge to the 7-year-olds of today, promising the hepatitis B. In collaboration with UNAIDS and the G20 elimination of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria by the time they turn 18. With Health & Development Partnership, WHA your support, we can offer them a world free of hepatitis as well. These recent events indicate that and UNITE hosted a side meeting the day hepatitis elimination is becoming before the high level meeting on UHC. We are the first generation that can eliminate this global killer. Let’s more of a priority in countries not be the first generation that didn’t take up the fight.” around the world. It is thanks to the Entitled “Securing political leadership tireless work of WHA members and and innovative funding to achieve the global hepatitis community that Universal Health Coverage”, the interactive Read the full letter and view its signatories on hepatitis is increasingly prominent roundtable explored how policymakers, the NOhep website on the world stage. We now need to civil society and other agencies can ensure that this is translated to the effectively collaborate to ensure health country level. systems secure funding and meet the needs of the people. Recently, WHA advocated successfully for hepatitis to be

10 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 11 almost 1,000 others joined the call, join the fight for hepatitis NOhep movement’s call for the elimination, and seize the Global Fund to proactively support opportunity to tackle these major the integration of viral hepatitis health crises together, we will hepinionGlobal funders must join the within its existing programmes. achieve hepatitis elimination fight for hepatitis elimination and avert over 7 million deaths Viral hepatitis can be effectively by 2030. But if nothing is done, integrated into many existing HIV/ by 2040 hepatitis will kill more By Dr Philip Bruggman AIDS, TB and malaria programmes. people than HIV/AIDS, TB and Viral hepatitis affects similar malaria combined. When a disease kills 4,000 people key populations, the molecular a day – 1.4 million a year –, I find diagnostic systems used for TB If this is allowed to happen, then it incomprehensible that there and HIV can be used to detect viral international commitments to is not greater commitment from hepatitis, and the same generic Universal Health Coverage (UHC) funders and development partners drug (Tenofovir) is used to treat and to Sustainable Development to tackle it, especially when there HIV and hepatitis B. If the Global Goal (SDG) 3.3 will be completely Earlier this month, the Global Fund is such will to fight other major Fund supports our request we undermined. Both the UN’s met for its sixth replenishment infectious diseases. can help build a more efficient, Political Declaration on UHC, which meeting in Lyon, France, where it sustainable, and impactful was signed just a few weeks ago achieved its ambitious fundraising “I find it response to all four diseases. Most at the UN High Level meeting on target of US$14 billion to fight importantly this will benefit the UHC, and goal 3.3 of the SDGs AIDs, tuberculosis (TB) and incomprehensible patients who currently have to include explicit commitments to malaria. The replenishment that there is not navigate the inequity in the health hepatitis. While political will is of meeting saw record pledges from greater commitment system. course to be welcomed, it means countries, and huge contributions nothing if it is not backed up with from private foundations. It is from funders and If major global funders and the funding or strategies to turn heartening to see the level of development partners development partners hear our will into reality. dedication countries and private sector donors have to fighting to tackle [hepatitis].” disease epidemics – after all the Global Fund aims to save Due to this lack of funding we are 16 million lives with the money asking low- and middle- income raised in Lyon. However it is countries without the resources frustrating to see viral hepatitis needed to eliminate hepatitis to repeatedly excluded from funding tackle one of the largest health opportunities, despite claiming crises in history alone. more lives each year than HIV or malaria, and a number To combat this, just ahead of the comparable to TB. replenishment meeting, I and

12 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 13 people living with HIV and, eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.” WHA and IAPAC announce ultimately, achieving HBV and HCV elimination.” The MOU affirms a commitment between IAPAC and the World Fast-Track Cities Partnership World Hepatitis Alliance CEO Cary Hepatitis Alliance to joint James signed a Memorandum of advocacy, awareness-raising, Understanding (MOU) alongside capacity-building, and other IAPAC’s Dr. Zuniga during a activities in support of the goal ceremony at the Fast-Track Cities of eliminating hepatitis B and 2019 conference at the Barbican hepatitis C by 2030. Centre in London.

“We are excited to join with the Fast-Track Cities initiative to “We have the tools accelerate and strengthen cities’ responses to viral hepatitis, needed to eliminate a disease which claims 1.4 viral hepatitis, but million lives each year,” said a key challenge WHA’s Cary James. “We have the tools needed to eliminate viral is finding the 290 hepatitis, but a key challenge is million people who finding the 290 million people are unaware that who are unaware that they are they are living with The World Hepatitis Alliance “Our partnership with the World living with the virus. Scaling up (WHA) and the International Hepatitis Alliance will support diagnoses will be the cornerstone the virus.” to cities’ hepatitis responses. If Association of Providers of Fast-Track Cities in addressing the public health threat posed we find the missing millions and AIDS Care (IAPAC) announced link them to treatment, we can a new partnership on the first by HBV and HCV,” said IAPAC President/CEO Dr. José M. Zuniga. day of the Fast-Track Cities About IAPAC 2019 conference in London. The “In the era of the health-related Sustainable Development conference convened more than IAPAC is the largest association of clinicians and allied health professionals Goals, we have an obligation working to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. For more information 750 delegates from a network to work with our colleagues about IAPAC, click here. of more than 300 Fast-Track across health conditions. We are Cities striving to end urban honored to formally join with About Fast-Track Cities HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and the World Hepatitis Alliance to viral hepatitis (HBV and HCV) Fast-Track Cities is a network of more than 300 cities and municipalities that reach our mutual goal of ending are committed to attaining the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets by 2020. Find out epidemics. hepatitis-related deaths among more about Fast-Track cities and the 90-90-90 targets here.

14 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 15 Wall of Stories Surender Kumar Together, our “ I was a human me and my family, and stories can change resources executive I started education the way the world in a leading thermal programmes about the sees viral hepatitis. power generation diseases in the most company in India. vulnerable slums and The stories of villages in India. those living with During a blood or impacted by donation camp in Being a survivor, 2010, I found out that it is now my duty viral hepatitis can I have hepatitis B. to protect future help educate and generations. I started raise awareness, I had never heard my organisation RANN about hepatitis provide support Foundation, which B before this works for awareness “I never hide my hepatitis B positive status; in fact and inspiration, incident. It was a and prevention of viral I share my story whenever I can .” tackle stigma and shocking moment hepatitis in India. Misconceptions and who have dropped out discrimination, for me because I With around 1.5 lakh had never had a “Being a stigma attached to of school, conducting (150,000) deaths and highlight the blood transfusion. I the disease often lead education programmes annually and almost 60 true impact of this discussed with family survivor, it is to discrimination and on viral hepatitis in million Indians affected, global disease. and prepared all of now my duty to marginalisation of schools and urban viral hepatitis continues them for hepatitis B people living with the slums, and providing to be a serious public screening. protect future chronic infection, which psychosocial support to health concern. Each month we share the generations.” is a major concern and patients. story of someone whose The results were a has a big impact on .” life has been affected shock to all of us as I never hide my the lives of patients in by viral hepatitis. This three family members hepatitis B positive India. month, we hear from were also diagnosed status; in fact I share Surender Kumar from with hepatitis B. It had my story whenever I My fight against India. been passed on to us can but I know that the disease focuses from our mothers at not everyone who is on multiple fronts: birth. living with hepatitis preventing hepatitis Click here to learn can reveal their status B through vaccination more about RANN I decided to leave my due to discrimination camps for children job which was the only Foundation in the family and source of income for society. See more stories and submit your own at www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/wall-stories 16 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019 17 hep Voice

www.worldhepatitisalliance.org

18 hep Voice OCTOBER 2019