Governments are being asked to commit to putting in place 12 constituents of an effective hepatitis programme. They are initially being asked to commit to them by 2012 with no fixed date for actioning them. Of course, some countries will find this much easier than others and part of our work in the future will be forming partnerships to make these commitments possible.
6 of the 12 are universal for all countries:
- Public recognition of chronic viral hepatitis as an urgent public health issue
- The appointment of an individual to lead Government strategy nationally
- The development of a patient pathway for screening, diagnosis, referral and treatment
- Clear, quantifiable targets for reducing incidence and prevalence
- Clear, quantifiable targets for reducing mortality
- Clear, quantifiable targets for screening
A further 6 will be tailored to the circumstances of each individual country. An example would be:
- Commitment to an ongoing national vaccination programme
- Effective surveillance and publication of national incidence and prevalence statistics
- Commitment to examine cases of best practice internationally
- Commitment to work with patient groups in policy design and implementation
- Provision of free and anonymous (or confidential) testing
- A public awareness campaign that alerts people to the issue and is committed to reducing stigma
