Making a major investment to fight hepatitis B in Africa
The Hepatitis B Foundation has launched a major new, multiyear program to support hepatitis B elimination initiatives across Africa.
Doylestown, Pa., Dec. 12, 2024 – The Hepatitis B Foundation is making a major new, multiyear investment to launch a new program supporting hepatitis B elimination in Africa, where its staff has been working with strong local partners in more than 12 countries to develop models for prevention, education, testing and linkage to care.
The new community-focused, capacity-building initiative builds on the Foundation’s previous efforts in Africa. The work began with community-based partnerships in the region, small community-based screening efforts and educational programs with partners in Ghana, Uganda and Nigeria. Since then, efforts have been expanded to develop models of prevention and best practices with a program to improve birth-dose hepatitis B vaccination rates in Nigeria, which was led by Catherine Freeland, PhD, MPH, our associate director for public health research, who will be heading the new initiative.
Foundation President Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, said: “Community-based organizations (CBOs) and people with lived experience are working locally to improve awareness, prevention, testing and treatment. These partners play a key role in implementing effective local strategies, but they often lack connection, shared knowledge of best practices, resources and capacity. This new program will help fill these gaps and unite motivated communities across the Continent.”
In partnership with The Society on Liver Disease in Africa (SOLDA), the Foundation’s team launched a landscaping survey this year to assess on the ground activities across the continent related to hepatitis B. Over 300 CBOs, individuals and academic organizations working on hepatitis B responded to the survey. Nearly all the survey participants said they need help with capacity-building, resource mobilization, data reporting, advocacy and improving testing, prevention and treatment in their locales. To connect these groups, build capacity and share best practices, the Foundation will create a formalized capacity-building network across Africa led and focused on person-centered care and people with lived experience.
Dr. Catherine Freeland teaching a class of public health nurses in Nigeria as part of the hepatitis B birth dose improvement project in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and African Field Epidemiology Network.
A public health professional in Nigeria talking with residents of their community about hepatitis B prevention.
Among the program’s specific activities:
- The network will create models of best practices and share them with stakeholders.
- It will provide capacity-building and training to leaders.
- The team will help partners collate, analyze and publish their local data widely.
- The network will hold regular group meetings and webinars led by local leaders to promote sharing of best practices.
- The program will support implementation of innovative and scalable programs on local education, screening, vaccination, linkage to care and advocacy.
- Storytelling will be greatly expanded and people with lived experience will be trained and supported in sharing their stories.
- The team will create and manage safe platforms for ongoing communication, collaboration and networking.
Work is underway currently on the Africa Initiative, such as formation of an Advisory Group of experts the includes people living with hepatitis B across the Continent.
About Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection in the world. It is caused by the hepatitis B virus that attacks and injures the liver. Each year more than 1 million people die from hepatitis B worldwide, even though it is preventable and treatable. Hepatitis B is a “silent epidemic” because most people do not have symptoms when they are newly or chronically infected. Thus, they can unknowingly infect others and continue the spread of hepatitis B. For people who are chronically infected but don’t have any symptoms, their livers are still being silently damaged, which can develop into serious liver diseases such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.
About the Hepatitis B Foundation: As the world’s leading hepatitis B advocacy and research organization, the Hepatitis B Foundation is one of the most active proponents of improving hepatitis B screening, prevention and treatment of the disease. We are the only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. Founded in 1991, the Hepatitis B Foundation is based in Doylestown, Pa., with offices in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org, read our blog, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@hepbfoundation) or contact us through info@hepb.org or 215-489-4900.