Burnet Institute is a signatory to an Action Plan for the elimination of hepatitis B and hepatitis C by 2030.

Conceived by a collaboration of leading Australian research, advocacy and community bodies including Hepatitis Australia, the Doherty Institute, Kirby Institute, Australasian Hepatology Association and Burnet, the Action Plan spells out six actions the Australian Government can take by the end of 2022.

These actions include:

• Allocating additional investment to find and treat 50,000 people living with hep C
• Partnering with people impacted by hepatitis B in national policy development and implementation
• Reaffirming Australia’s commitment to the 2030 viral hepatitis elimination goal
• Prioritising viral hepatitis in the Medical Research Future Fund, and
• Include communicable disease prevention and responses in the Primary Health Care 10-year plan

The plan was announced at the 12th Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference in Brisbane, run by the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM) in collaboration with key sector partners as a platform for the dissemination and presentation of new and innovative research findings and better management across the Australasian viral hepatitis sector.

Globally viral hepatitis is a major disease burden responsible for an estimated 1.4 million deaths per year, the vast majority of these due to hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

In Australia it is estimated that more than 220,000 people are living with chronic hepatitis C infection and more than 200,000 are living with hepatitis B.

Burnet’s Viral Hepatitis Elimination Group works closely with virologists, immunologists and mathematical modellers to improve our understanding of hepatitis C and its transmission and improving the management and care of people already infected with these viruses.

The ultimate aim is to eliminate hepatitis C and B transmission and illness and deaths related to these viruses by 2030.

Click here to view the VH2021 Action Plan.