From 23 to 28 May Geneva (Switzerland) hosted 69th World Health Assembly, which is the supreme governing body of the World Health Organization (WHO) and makes strategic decisions at the international level. During the session, members of all WHO member statesapproved strategies on key healthcare issues, in particular infectious diseases: HIV, Viral Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Infections and other socially dangerous diseases (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2016/wha69/ru/).
This year, the first Global Health Sector Strategy to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis by 2030 was approved. The draft strategy was developed with involvement of the representatives ofdifferent countries, based on the best practices and national models of response to viral hepatitis. If the implementing countries are able to ensure its implementation, it will help save over 7 million lives. For Ukraine it will mean approval of rather ambitious goals oneliminating viral hepatitis B and C by the end of 2030, which include, in particular, 90% ofdiagnosed cases of chronic hepatitis C and 80% of people covered with hepatitis C treatment.It is also important to point out hepatitis B vaccination – by 2030 its coverage should be 90%,including vaccination of newborns.
Ludmila Maistat, Senior Program Manager: Hepatitis, Alliance for Public Health, took part inthe activities of the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Committee for Viral Hepatitis (STAC-HEP), which was responsible for the development of the Global Strategy. It is good torealize that the Alliance expertise in implementation of the treatment program forvulnerable populations, which has been in place in Ukraine for over twelve months with 92%treatment success, has also been used to develop the Strategy.