Politicians, clinicians and policy makers joined us on Wednesday 4th December at the House of Commons to add their support for our new report, Hepatitis B – Break the Silence. We are urging politicians to commit to action, so that the UK can meet the World Health Organization’s pledge to eliminate hepatitis B by its 2030 deadline.
Hepatitis B is a silent threat that can lead to serious complications such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer if left undetected. While there is no cure, effective lifelong treatments are available to manage the virus. These treatments can significantly reduce the risk of severe illness and save lives.
Dr Beccy Cooper, MP for Worthing West, described hepatitis B as a life-threatening viral infection that disproportionately impacts our most disadvantaged and marginalised communities. She echoed our calls for a national clinical lead to ensure that progress in hepatitis B diagnosis and management receives the same attention as hepatitis C, which is on track to meet the elimination deadline.
Dr Beccy Cooper MP and Pamela Healy OBE
Monica, patient advocate
Mark Gillion-Powell and Vanessa Hebditch
Robin Swann MP and Pamela Healy OBE
Jim Shannon MP and Pamela Healy OBE
Robin Swann MP, Pamela Healy OBE and Dr Neil McDougalRoza, who discovered she had hepatitis B as a young child is passionate about breaking the stigma to improve awareness of the importance of diagnosis and life-saving treatment. She says:
“I lost a close friend to hepatitis B that progressed to liver cancer. His life could have been saved if he was diagnosed sooner. I’m sharing my own story of living with hepatitis B today to help break the stigma and raise public awareness on this silent killer.”
Our new report, Hepatitis B – Break the Silence, shines a spotlight on hepatitis B, highlights the lack of accurate diagnosis data for much of the UK and recommends a wide-ranging set of measures that we feel will be necessary to tackle the crisis.
Current estimates suggest that there are around 268,000 people with hepatitis B in England alone, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) estimates that more than half of those are undiagnosed. The most recent statistics for Scotland are from 2009, and without reliable data for Wales or Northern Ireland, there is no way of knowing where the four UK nations stand in relation to other countries or whether we are coming close to the 2030 elimination deadline.
In 2016, the UK Government signed up to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) pledge to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030, and although hepatitis C is on track to meet the deadline, we are becoming increasingly concerned that hepatitis B has dropped off the radar. Hepatitis B is more prevalent in areas of deprivation and adversely affects already marginalised communities, adding to the stigma and leading to greater reluctance for those at-risk to get tested and attend for subsequent treatment.
The report identifies key measures that need to be implemented to align the UK with the WHO’s 2030 deadline for the elimination of viral hepatitis, and include:
- Early detection: It is estimated that fewer than half of UK cases of hepatitis B have been diagnosed. A recent programme that provides opt-out blood testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV in UK Emergency Departments has found that there are many more cases of hepatitis B than previously thought. The report recommends that the opt-out scheme is extended to all A and E departments and that testing should also take place in to other community settings – particularly in areas where there is a high prevalence.
- Access to treatment: Ensure that everyone diagnosed with hepatitis B has access to the right care and treatment at the right time in a local accessible setting
- Peer Support: Provide patients with access to peer support workers who understand individual needs and offer appropriate support to those who need help to navigate services.
- Improve data sharing across NHS digital systems: Existing technology must be better utilised to ensure that everyone who has been diagnosed with hepatitis B is properly tracked and linked to ongoing care and treatment, so that people are not lost in the system.
- A public health campaign is needed to underpin these recommendations and increase awareness of hepatitis B in at-risk communities and amongst healthcare professionals.
Pamela Healy OBE, Chief Executive of the British Liver Trust said:
“If we are to even come close to realising a 2030 elimination date, then the fundamental steps that we have recommended in our report, Hepatitis B – Break the Silence, must be implemented now
We are so grateful to everyone who joined us to lend their support last night, to Dr Ahmed Elsharkawy who led on the project, and to the many other supportive clinicians who have supported the report to highlight this growing health crisis. Thanks also to Dr Beccy Cooper, who as a healthcare professional spoke about the threat that hepatitis B poses to patients who is the Co Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Liver Health. Also to Rebecca Smith MP for her support in organising the event, and to Gilead for their financial support to enable the report launch to take place.
We are particularly grateful to Roza, whose heartfelt words of someone who lives with hepatitis B, which moved everyone to want to strengthen the case for urgent action. We admire her courage for speaking out about a condition that is so widely misunderstood and stigmatised.
We know that successful partnerships can deliver great results, so we’re looking forward to working with those third sector organisations who share our goal, and with NHS England to ensure that we can deliver on the 2030 WHO deadline to eliminate hepatitis B.
We will be back in Parliament on the 21st of January for our liver awareness day in Portcullis House and hope MPs from across the political arena will join us for a liver scan.”
The event was generously supported by Gilead.
Leena Sathia, Gilead Sciences Medical Director said:
“Gilead are delighted to have sponsored the parliamentary event that launched this important report. We are committed to supporting the UK goals to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat and work in partnership with the health system and community to do so, building on the success of the hepatitis C elimination programme. This report provides a clear set of recommendations to address challenges in hepatitis B in the UK and we look forward to working with the British Liver Trust and others to champion the need for change.”
