International Association of Hepatitis Task Forces

Who we are

We are a global collaboration of community organizations on all continents of the globe. We are concerned citizens, doctors, policy makers and patient advocates looking for solutions to the looming, global healthcare crisis - viral hepatitis. We support the World Health Organization's goal to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030. Our vision to bring resources to support local communities while building a voice to rally unity for those efforts and utilizing the latest technology for sharing information, communication of ideas and strategies on viral hepatitis elimination.
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Innovation & Research

Research tells us the keys to eradicating hepatitis are:

Develop of a vaccine for hepatitis
Target ccc DNA (in a roll over, explain ccc DNA: "ccc DNA is a covalently closed circular DNA that arises during the propagation of hepatitis B which may remain permanently in the infected patient. The most effective way to prevent reinfection and ensure the patient clears the virus is to destroy the ccc DNA")
Prevent the spread of hepatitis
Strengthen the publicity of vaccination, educate the primary care physicians and increase financial resources for screening and testing
Make antiviral therapy affordable and accessible to all

Making Viral Hepatitis Elimination Happen

Our partnerships with Task Forces around the world are working together to eliminate viral hepatitis. Research in the last ten years has realized major breakthroughs in the development of new treatments and vaccines to prevent acute and chronic hepatitis infection. However, we have so much more work to do to eliminate viral hepatitis globally by 2030. We can only achieve that goal by working in concert, sharing our successes and failures, each one of us adding a small puzzle piece to the big picture that will result in the total eradication of viral hepatitis. Find out to become part of the solution.

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Get the FACTS about Viral Hepatitis

Viral hepatitis has become the sixth leading cause of deaths since 2015, having overtaken deaths due to human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), malaria, or tuberculosis according to the World Health Organization's Report on Global Burden of Disease (GBD).*

Sources: GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators. Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet 2016;388:1459-544. 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31012-1 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Cross Ref]

GBD 2013 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators. Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet 2015;385:117-71. 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61682-2 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Cross Ref]

World Health Organisation. Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis 2016-2021: Towards ending viral hepatitis. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organisation, 2016.

Viral hepatitis is one of the biggest global health threats of our time

1.34 million deaths a year
Causes two in every three liver cancer deaths
325 million confirmed patients worldwide, 52 million are minors
300 million people living with viral hepatitis are unaware

Join in the quest to find the "missing millions." »

Global Elimination Strategy

Raise awareness, combat stigma stigma and discrimination against patients, especially prisoners and people who inject drugs
Eliminate barriers to treatment
Improve point-of-care diagnostics
Prevent mother-to-child transmission through screening and treatment
Establish better treatment options for young children and pregnant women with hepatitis C
Develop a functional cure for hepatitis B
Drive political will to scale up prevention, diagnosis, and treatment programs

Where we Stand

"Although 82 countries now have viral hepatitis plans, only nine (Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Netherlands, and Qatar) are on track to reach their 2030 elimination goals for hepatitis C. Globally, a major challenge is diagnosis, with many countries "running out" of patients with hepatitis C to treat, according to the World Hepatitis Alliance. Indeed, new Polaris data indicate that just 20% of people with HCV have been diagnosed, ranging from around 44% in high-income countries to 9% in low-income countries."
Source: The LANCET | VOLUME 390, ISSUE 10108, P2121, NOVEMBER 11, 2017

Together we can change the worldwide landscape and save lives by organizing patients and their loved ones to advocate for better access to healthcare and cures for viral hepatitis. Your contribution will help us reach our goal of getting everyone worldwide living with viral hepatitis cured.

International Association of Hepatitis Task Forces

What we do