hepVoice Vol.10 | Page 2

A note from the CEO of the World Hepatitis Alliance Elimination has been a hot topic all year but as the world begins to think about how we can turn the commitment into reality, the question of how large numbers of patients will access costly treatments is always at the fore. This month we’ve seen governments, international organisations and more start to offer tangible solutions to the issue: in Egypt over 1 million hepatitis C patients are set to receive treatment by the end of the year, the World Health Organization has released a unique new report to improve access worldwide and our webinar provided clear examples of how patients are accessing generic medicines. October has also been a month to celebrate the unsung heroes of viral hepatitis. The publication of the World Hepatitis Day 2016 Global Summary Report profiles activities from organisations both big and small in almost every country in the world. We’ve also been utilising digital communications to reach new audiences including a webinar aimed at healthcare professionals and a Twitter chat raising awareness of liver cancer. Ensuring the patient voice is heard globally is central to our work so building a strong alliance of organisations is key. We were therefore delighted to welcome five new members to WHA this month. And with the upcoming elections, it’s crucial our members use their voice – it’s your opportunity to shape the WHA’s future! We hope you enjoy reading and don’t forget to vote! Contents This month Egyptian Liver Day WHO Access to Hepatitis C Treatment Report Access to generic hepatitis C drugs WHD 2016 Global Summary Report Healthcare professionals’ role in elimination Shape WHA’s future WHA Member Activities 4 5 6 8 10 11 12 Stay connected www.worldhepatitisalliance.org Raquel Peck Chief Executive Officer World Hepatitis Alliance Want to contribute? We welcome your contributions so please get in touch at [email protected] to have your news included in future issues and feel free to share the magazine with your network 2 hep Voice October 2016 [email protected] www.facebook.com/worldhepalliance @Hep_Alliance hep Voice October 2016 3