Does HepB Treatment Have To Be So Complicated?

CGHE will host a two-day event to investigate research gaps in hepatitis B treatment simplification.

Hepatitis B is a serious global health problem, with about 3% of the total worldwide population living with chronic infection. Of those millions of infected people, less than 10% are accessing treatment. This means that more than 800,000 people die annually—that’s two people every minute— as a result of complications from untreated hepatitis B. 

The good news is that hepatitis B, or HepB, is not difficult to treat. Unfortunately, current recommendations for treatment of chronic hepatitis B are quite complex, often involving flow charts for doctors to follow and multiple steps of testing and referrals. There aren’t enough specialists and facilities for everyone who needs treatment to receive it. Because of this, those diagnosed with hepatitis B often fall out of treatment. This problem is especially important in low- and middle- income countries where access to doctors, tests, and medicine are already extremely limited and can be a huge source of financial strain on patients and their families. 

The Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination is working to address the complex challenges of hepatitis B treatment. We received a grant in September of 2022 from Open Philanthropy to develop a roadmap for hepatitis B simplification that can be used to create new strategies to treat more people with HepB. We have already begun this work by engaging experts from around the world, including scientists, clinicians and other providers with experience providing hepatitis B treatment in settings where access to care is a challenge. We have conducted a series of interviews to inform our recommendations, and in May of this year, we will convene a meeting at our headquarters in Atlanta to continue the dialogue: 

Expanding Access to Hepatitis B Testing and Treatment: Developing a Research Roadmap

Hepatitis B experts from around the world, representing ten countries and five continents, will gather at our headquarters in Atlanta for a two-day event. We will identify which research gaps are preventing access to treatment, and where we need more data to better care for people with HBV in resource-limited settings. Together with our partners, the Coalition looks forward to the results of this project, as well as the contributions of WHO and others who are working towards a similar goal. We can make treatment for persons living with hepatitis B more accessible and affordable, ensuring more people get care.

We'll be sharing the results of our meeting, as well as agenda and slide sets, here on our website, so watch this space. Health equity depends on intentional, dedicated efforts to ensure that everyone who needs treatment can get it.