The theme of WHS 2022 is “Achieving the elimination of viral hepatitis within evolving health systems”.

The global health agenda has increasingly been focussed on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and away from vertical disease programming and COVID-19 has resulted in a radical disruption to health systems. While this evolution poses challenges it also creates opportunities to reshape and strengthen viral hepatitis programmes. 2022 will see the launch of the updated Global Health Sector Strategy on viral hepatitis and with less than 10 years to reach the 2030 targets, it will be a critical moment at which to take stock of progress to date, identify the gaps and look forward to how we can close those in order to make the elimination of viral hepatitis a reality.

Objectives

1. To generate a cross-sectorial response to achieving hepatitis elimination, highlighting integration opportunities and pathways, by increasing innovation, collaboration and joint-working

2. To engage and motivate governments and, policymakers, health systems and global agencies to increase resources for programmes for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis.

3. To highlight the importance of a people centered approach, with access to critical health services in a decentralized or demedicalized setting, and integration of health systems with communities as pivotal to elimination achievement.

4. To amplify and strengthen the voice of all stakeholders, especially patients, to drive action for hepatitis elimination.

5. Provide a platform for the communities disproportionately affected by viral hepatitis, to connect with decision makers and the wider community.

6. To accelerate the sharing of best practice of vanguard countries and programmes in regard to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis to drive global change.

7. To identify how hepatitis elimination can be embedded in UHC programmes and across evolving health systems amidst COVID-19.

8. To empower governments by building knowledge and technical skills and exploring how disease specific responses can fit within wider UHC efforts to overcome barriers to reach the 2030 targets of eliminating viral hepatitis.

9. To recognise the achievements made to date, identify gaps in global, regional and national responses and explore opportunities for closing those gaps across the continuum of care, and specifically in regard to access to diagnostics and medications.

Further details on the programme will be added once they become available.

World Hepatitis Summit 2022 – Programme Committee Members

Mr Danjuma Adda, President, World Hepatitis Alliance and & Executive Director, Center for Initiative and Development (CFID) and Chagro-Care Trust (CCT), Nigeria

Mrs Po-Lin Chan, Team Lead, Communicable Diseases, WHO India country office

Dr Meg Doherty, Director Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes, WHO

Professor Manal El-Sayed, Professor of Paediatrics, Ain Shams University, Egypt

Professor Margaret Hellard, Head, Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Australia

Ms Jennifer Johnston, Executive Director, CEVHAP (Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Asia Pacific), Australia

Mr Giten Khwairakpam, Program Manager, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research/ TREAT Asia, Thailand

Dr Funmi Lesi, Lead Team, Hepatitis-Cross Cutting, WHO

Mr Niklas Luhmann, Hepatitis Lead for Testing, prevention and populations, WHO

Dr Homie Razavi, Managing Director, Center for Disease Analysis Foundation, USA

Mr Sean Regan, Associate Director for Viral Hepatitis at Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), USA

Dr B.B Rewari, Scientist HIV/AIDS/STI/Hepatitis, WHO SEARO, India

Dr Su Wang, Chairperson, World Hepatitis Summit Programme Committee, Past President, World Hepatitis Alliance, Medical Director, Center for Asian Health & Viral Hepatitis Programs at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, USA

Dr John Ward, Director, Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, The Task Force for Global Health, USA

For For more information about the WHS 2022 please contact Summit@worldhepatitisalliance.org