On Friday, July 28th, World Hepatitis Day (WHD) will be recognized to bring awareness and encourage global action on the burden of viral hepatitis. The 2023 World Hepatitis Alliance’s WHD theme is “We’re Not Waiting.”
Hepatitis Education Canada defines hepatitis as a general term meaning inflammation of the liver. There are many forms of hepatitis including types A, B, C, D and E, some of which are acute (lasting less than six months), or chronic (long-term), with symptoms remaining dormant in some people for decades.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), while all strains of hepatitis cause liver disease, they differ in important ways including modes of transmission, severity of the illness, geographical distribution and prevention methods. In particular, types B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people and together are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and viral hepatitis-related deaths. An estimated 354 million people worldwide live with hepatitis B (HBV) or hepatitis C (HVC) which are the most common types of hepatitis viruses in Canada and BC.
In 2016, Canada signed on to the WHO’s Global Viral Hepatitis Strategy, with a goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, promoting Action Hepatitis Canada (AHC) to prepare annual progress reports. In May, the 2023 Progress report was released, focusing on six metrics pertaining to HCV and HBV nationally and specifics for each province.
Compared to other provinces and territories, BC is reported to be on track for Testing, HCV Treatment, and Prevention. Although there is still much work to be done by 2030, the consultation process for the BC roadmap to Viral Hepatitis Elimination is underway. It’s being led in partnership by BC Hepatitis Network (BCHN) and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), with support from the Canadian Network on Hepatitis C (CanHepC). The Executive Committee & Steering Committee, co-chaired by Deb Schmitz, Executive Director, BC Hepatitis Network & Dr. Sofia Bartlett, Senior Scientist, BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), will oversee this process, and BCCDC is providing secretariat and project management support.
Get Involved in World Hepatitis Day
The World Hepatitis Alliance has a variety of resources and communication tools available for you including;
- A complimentary Communications Toolkit including messaging, visuals, social media graphics, a draft newsletter and more ways to get involved
- A fully customizable tool to create graphics with your preferred language from 120+ choices, and a selection of images and messaging to share information on your own network or social media feeds including posters, Twitter/Facebook images, and Instagram images. The tool also allows you to incorporate your own images and messages if you choose to.
- Virtual Global Relay for members, partners, and stakeholders to get involved by sharing a short v30 second video of what hepatitis elimination means to them
- Sign the public pledge to join the hepatitis elimination movement
- Watch and share the WHD 2023 Campaign video
There are a variety of webinars happening this week including:
World Hepatitis Day 2023: Community Forum – July 25th, 5 AM Pacific time/ 6 AM Mountain time
We’re not waiting – Beating hepatitis and cancer together – July 27th, 5 AM Pacific time/ 6 AM Mountain time
Action Hepatitis Canada (AHC) is calling on Minsters of Health across Canada to take the “We’re Not Waiting” Pledge, and make their commitment to viral hepatitis elimination public. AHC highlights that you are the expert on what is happening locally in your community but members have asked them to support advocacy through prepared talking points. They have provided media talking points, pulled from their #CanHepDay 5 federal asks, their 2023 Progress Report, and their Prison Health is Public Health report. There is also a social media toolkit with updated graphics aligned with the World Hepatitis Alliance global theme of “We’re Not Waiting.” If you are planning a public event, or need additional media support, you can also use AHC as a media contact if you like: Jennifer van Gennip, Executive Director, Action Hepatitis Canada: [email protected].
You can share messages of your own and tag the politicians including BC Health Minister @adriandix
or the federal Health Minister by tagging @CDNMinHealth or @GovCanHealth. Some of the shareable messages include:
The sooner people living with viral hepatitis receive a diagnosis and care, the more likely they are to live a long and healthy life. They can’t wait. So neither will we. Learn more at www.actionhepatitiscanada.ca. #WorldHepatitisDay #HepCantWait
Hepatitis B & C don’t wait, so neither will we.
We need policies that take a health equity approach to eliminating hepatitis B & C. Now.
Read the recommendations for each province and territory at www.actionhepatitiscanada.ca.
#WorldHepatitisDay #HepCantWait
We’re not waiting any longer. Together, we can eliminate hepatitis B and C as a public health threat.
#WorldHepatitisDay #HepCantWait @NO_hep
Hepatitis B doesn’t wait, so why do our vaccine programs?
We need birth dose hepatitis B vaccination policies in every province and territory.
Learn more at www.actionhepatitiscanada.ca.
#WorldHepatitisDay #HepCantWait
In the most recent issue of the World Hepatitis Alliance’s magazine for the hepatitis community, Hep Voice, you can read highlights from WHD activities, news from the 77th UN General Assembly and the latest updates from the seventh Global Fund Replenishment Cycle. They also share drug policy updates from the 27th Harm Reduction International Conference that was held in Melbourne, including a statement calling for HBV to be included in harm reduction services.
For people with lived and living experience of hepatitis C who want to explore what leadership means to you, who you are as a leader, and how to strengthen your abilities as a leader, we encourage you to check out PAN’s free self-guided online course Explorations in Leadership. Listen and learn from other people with experience of hep C as you build your awareness, skills, and action. The course is broken down into sections with lessons that contain a combination of video, audio, image, and text media to present the information.