Market research published report:
Overcoming the barriers to diagnosis of viral hepatitis

This white paper sets out recommendations for overcoming the existing barriers to diagnosing viral hepatitis B and C. It recognises the progress made since the adoption of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis, 2016–2021, including new WHO testing guidance that many countries are starting to implement, but also that nine out of ten people around the world with viral hepatitis remain undiagnosed.

The recommendations draw on a multi-country survey commissioned by the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) on barriers to viral hepatitis diagnosis and a global stakeholder meeting held in London in May 2018 to discuss the survey findings and the role of civil society and the affected community in addressing these barriers.

The five main barriers to the diagnosis of viral hepatitis B and C, according to the global survey, are:

• Lack of public knowledge of the diseases.
• Lack of knowledge of viral hepatitis among healthcare professionals.
• Lack of easily accessible testing.
• Stigma and discrimination.
• Out-of-pocket costs for the population.

Overcoming these barriers will be critical if we are to reach elimination. The recommendations set out in this white paper highlight that existing frameworks should be used to better educate, increase awareness and combat stigma and discrimination; targeted testing strategies with integration into existing services are required; testing must be affordable and accessible; linkage to care must occur across all screening services; and it is essential that civil society and the affected community are engaged in all of these actions.

Civil society and the affected community have a unique and important role to play in addressing the barriers to diagnosing viral hepatitis; however, to facilitate a more effective response a multi-stakeholder approach is required and governments will need to create an enabling environment that fosters collaboration. Further, all countries need to ensure that those diagnosed with hepatitis B or hepatitis C are linked to care as quickly as possible.