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The Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care launched the strategies today. They outline Australia’s national approach to:
- virtually eliminate new hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections by 2030
- reduce illness and deaths caused by hepatitis B and hepatitis C
- improve diagnosis, treatment and long-term care uptake
- reduce stigma and discrimination
- ensure people can access care regardless of where they live
- develop a strong evidence base for action.
Why the strategies matter
Australia has made important progress under the previous national hepatitis strategies. This includes increasing hepatitis B vaccination rates in children and improved access to hepatitis C treatments.
However, despite effective prevention, testing and treatment tools, hepatitis B and C remain leading causes of liver disease and liver cancer in Australia. Many people continue to experience late diagnosis, stigma and difficulty accessing ongoing care.
The new strategies were shaped through wide ranging consultation – including with people with lived experience – to identify priority populations, gaps in the current response, and the action needed to accelerate progress over the next 5 years.
They are endorsed by:
- the Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections Subcommittee (BBVSS)
- the Australian Health Protection Committee
- Commonwealth and state and territory health ministers.<
Key areas of focus
Both strategies highlight that viral hepatitis disproportionately impacts several key populations. They prioritise action and set targets across 6 shared areas:
- education and prevention
- testing, treatment and management
- equitable access to care and support
- a skilled and supported workforce
- reducing stigma and discrimination
- strong data, surveillance, research and evaluation.
The hepatitis B strategy emphasises vaccination, early diagnosis, lifelong monitoring and liver cancer prevention.
The hepatitis C strategy focuses on finding people who are undiagnosed or disengaged from care and supporting access to curative treatment.
What happens next
The Australian CDC will lead national coordination and progress tracking, with:
- implementation supported through action plans developed in partnership with Hepatitis Australia, as well as other key viral hepatitis stakeholders.
- continued collaboration across governments, health services, community organisations and researchers.