Meeting on the Implementation of the Regional Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis in the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines, 13-14 December 2018: meeting report

SUMMARY
The Western Pacific Region has made significant progress in the prevention of hepatitis B through immunization, achieving the 2020 regional target for hepatitis B control ahead of time, in 2017. However, the Region bears almost half the global burden of chronic hepatitis infections, and only around one-fifth of affected people are aware they are infected. Amongst those who are aware of their infection, the majority do not have access to treatment even though hepatitis medicines have become cheaper and more accessible. The Regional Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis in the Western Pacific 2016–2020 sets out priority actions and measurable targets for 2020, working towards elimination targets for 2030 proposed in the Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis 2016–2021. With the publication in 2018 of the Regional Framework on Triple Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis 2018–2030, the stage is set to push forward with
measures to reduce mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B towards elimination by 2030.
The Meeting on the Implementation of the Regional Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis in the Western Pacific was held to review midterm progress, focusing on a wide range of prevention measures including infection control, protection of health-care workers, elimination of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B and provision of services to key populations as well as strategic information, testing and treatment for viral hepatitis. Key actions to be taken by countries, WHO and partners were identified in order to accelerate progress in hepatitis control in the remaining two years of the Regional Action Plan’s term.
Substantial progress has been made in developing national action plans and conducting disease burden estimates, but coverage of both testing and treatment is still low. There needs to be a significant scale-up of testing services as well as expansion and decentralization of treatment for infected individuals in order to achieve elimination goals by 2030. More progress is required in areas including advocacy and awareness-raising among policymakers and the general population; resource mobilization; capacity building for health-care providers; establishment, scale-up and decentralization of laboratory and clinical services as well as strengthening and integrating hepatitis data reporting within existing health information systems. Member States requested technical support from WHO and partner organizations to conduct disease burden analyses, develop or update national guidelines, design context-specific service delivery models, strengthen data systems, and build capacity for workforce development. Partnerships should be convened and supported to provide assistance and ensure a platform to share knowledge across countries to strengthen national responses towards achieving the elimination of viral hepatitis