Report Titled "National Hepatitis B Elimination Roadmap" Announced

The National Hepatitis B Elimination Roadmap Report, prepared by the Turkish Liver Research Association (TKAD) and the Viral Hepatitis Control Association (VHSD), was presented at a digital webinar meeting due to Covid-19. Announced ahead of 28 July World Hepatitis Day, the study's primary objective is: "To halt the spread of Hepatitis B in Turkey in the short term, improve quality of life by preventing disease progression, and achieve elimination in the long term" As 28 July World Hepatitis Day approaches, the report titled "National Hepatitis B Elimination Roadmap," prepared by the Turkish Liver Research Association (TKAD) and the Viral Hepatitis Control Association (VHSD) with unconditional support from Gilead Sciences Turkey, was shared with the public at a webinar meeting held on 24 July. The meeting where the report was presented was attended by Prof. Dr. Fehmi Tabak, Prof. Dr. Ramazan İdilman and Prof. Dr. Sabahattin Kaymakoğlu. The report in question contains the steps that need to be taken to halt the spread of hepatitis B in Turkey, prevent disease progression, improve patients' quality of life, and achieve long-term hepatitis B elimination.

VHSD Board Chairman Prof. Dr. Fehmi Tabak stated the following at the meeting:

"As TKAD and VHSD, we have embarked on this path to halt the short-term spread of the disease in Turkey, prevent disease progression, improve the quality of life of people infected with HBV, and contribute to long-term elimination. The National Hepatitis B Elimination Roadmap was prepared with the active participation of opinion leaders and relevant stakeholders to identify areas for development in hepatitis B elimination and facilitate implementation."

Turkish Liver Research Association (TKAD) Board Chairman Ramazan İdilman spoke as follows:

"This report prepared by us academics is fully aligned with the Health Ministry's Turkey Viral Hepatitis Prevention and Control Program in the hepatitis B field. The report we have prepared complements the Health Ministry's Turkey Viral Hepatitis Prevention and Control Program in this area. In this work, we specifically aimed to contribute to the Ministry's program in the hepatitis B field by providing a focused perspective on hepatitis B and presenting implementable projects at the micro level that could have the most impact on strategies."

Turkish Liver Research Association (TKAD) Board Member Sabahattin Kaymakoğlu also addressed the following issues:

"With the inclusion of the Hepatitis B vaccine in the routine childhood vaccination schedule, the primary vaccination of a large portion of people born in 1997 and thereafter has been completed. There remains an infection risk for people born before 1997 who have not received this vaccine. However, in Turkey we are successfully applying the most innovative treatments in the hepatitis field. During this process, it is critical for patients to maintain their medication therapy and doctor check-ups for the success of treatment. For this reason, we urge patients who have discontinued their treatment or postponed routine check-ups during the pandemic to contact their physicians without delay and continue their treatment and routine check-ups diligently. Otherwise, Covid-19 will take a more serious course in liver patients with uncontrolled, inflammatory activity or organ insufficiency."

HOW WAS THE ROADMAP PREPARED?

The National Hepatitis B Elimination Roadmap was prepared with the active participation of opinion leaders and relevant stakeholders to identify areas for development in hepatitis B elimination and facilitate implementation, in line with the Health Ministry's "Turkey Viral Hepatitis Prevention and Control Program." Existing strategies and plans in Turkey and worldwide were examined, preliminary interviews with physicians were conducted, and the National Hepatitis B Elimination Roadmap was created based on projects proposed during workshops organized in Diyarbakır, Istanbul, and Ankara.

The main strategies for establishing the National Hepatitis B Plan to achieve the primary objective were grouped under 6 main headings:

• Increasing Awareness
• Increasing Immunization
• Screening / Surveillance
• Reducing Transmission
• Increasing Access to Treatment
• Monitoring and Evaluating Treatment Outcomes

Globally, it is known that one in three people has encountered HBV and approximately more than 250 million people have HBV infection. In Turkey, it is estimated that one in three people over 18 years of age has encountered HBV, and more than 2 million people in the adult age group are infected with HBV. Virus transmission can cause acute and/or chronic disease. Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is a liver disease that usually progresses asymptomatically for many years and often leads to cirrhosis, liver failure, liver cancer, and resulting need for liver transplantation or death. Viral hepatitis is considered an important public health problem worldwide that affects country economies negatively. During the meeting, physicians emphasized that people infected with this virus can live long and healthy lives with regular follow-up and treatment, and called on patients who have discontinued their treatment or postponed routine check-ups during the pandemic to contact their physicians without delay and continue their treatment and routine check-ups.