病毒性肝炎造成的危害是全球性重要的公共卫生问题，严重危害公众身体健康。目前全世界约有4亿病毒性肝炎感染患者，多发生在发展中国家。全球每年因病毒性肝炎引起的肝硬化和肝癌所导致的死亡人数达到140万，给患者、家庭及社会造成沉重的经济负担。受经济发展或其他因素的影响，有些国家的新生儿乙肝疫苗接种覆盖率仍然很低；公众对病毒性肝炎的认知率不高、就诊率低；患者依从性差、治疗不规范；药物可及性差、医疗保险滞后；高风险人群的乙肝、丙肝感染境况尚未得到根本的改善；社会上对病毒性肝炎患者的歧视依然存在。

2016年，世界卫生大会提出了“到2030年消除肝炎危害”的宏伟战略目标。然而要实现这一目标，需要政府、专业机构、社会组织、患者等全社会的通力合作。

在第二十六届亚太肝病学会2017年会于上海召开之际，世界肝炎联盟、中国肝炎防治基金会、亚太病毒性肝炎扑灭联盟与来自全球22个非政府组织（NGO）发出以下联合声明：

一、通过多种渠道向社会公众传递正确的病毒性肝炎防治知识，提高公众对肝炎的认知水平和防护意识，创造友好的社会环境，消除肝炎歧视。

二、积极推动新生儿乙肝疫苗接种，并加强母婴传播阻断工作，进一步降低乙肝新发感染率。

三、促进社会人群规模化检测和规范化诊治，降低乙肝、丙肝相关疾病死亡率；关爱并服务高危人群，帮助他们了解自身感染状况并提供相应治疗。

四、敦促政府协调各方、整合资源，关注偏远地区的肝炎防控，提高肝炎治疗的可及性。

五、积极开展切实可行的肝炎防治项目，为政府医疗卫生政策的制定建言献策。

让我们携起手来，联合社会各方力量，为消除病毒性肝炎对人类的威胁，创造没有肝炎的未来而努力奋斗！

Working Together for a Hepatitis-Free Future

——Statement of Shanghai APASL-NGO Joint Forum

(Feb 18, 2017)

Viral hepatitis and its sequel is a global health issue, which pose serious threats to the health of the public. Worldwide an approximate 400 million people are living with viral hepatitis, most of them live in developing countries. Hepatitis-related liver cirrhosis and liver cancer cause an estimated 1.4 million deaths each year, as well as great financial burden to patients, their families and the society. There are several challenges –the coverage of hepatitis B vaccination is still very low in certain countries, public awareness and testing rates of viral hepatitis remain low, adherence to treatment is inadequate and treatment regimens are usually not standardized. Additionally, in many countries the accessibility to and health insurance coverage for medicines for viral hepatitis remain inadequate. Viral hepatitis B and C infections among high-risk populations continues to be an unresolved problem. Stigma and discrimination towards people living with viral hepatitis still exist in the society.

In 2016, the World Health Assembly endorsed the vision of “Elimination of Viral Hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030”. To achieve this goal, governments, medical communities, NGOs, patients and the society must work together.

At the 26^th Annual Meeting of Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver held in Shanghai in 2017–the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), the Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control (CFHPC), and the Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Asia Pacific (CEVHAP) together with 22 other non-governmental organizations issue this joint statement:

1. To promote publicity of correct knowledge on viral hepatitis prevention and treatment through multiple approaches, improve public awareness and knowledge of viral hepatitis, and build an environment without stigma and discrimination towards people living with chronic viral hepatitis.

2. To actively promote universal hepatitis B vaccination for infants and strengthen prevention of mother to child transmission of hepatitis B，reduce the new incidence of hepatitis B infection.

3. To promote mass screening and standard treatment, and reduce viral hepatitis B and C related mortality through adequate diagnosis and effective treatment, and to strengthen advocacy for care and support for high-risk populations.

4. To advocate governments to coordinate multi-stake holders and mobilize all available resources, pay more attention on prevention and control of viral hepatitis in remote and resource-constrained regions, and promote equitable access to hepatitis treatment.

5. To actively promote implementation of pilot projects on viral hepatitis prevention and treatment, and provide evidence and programmatic support for government policy making in the national response to hepatitis prevention, care and treatment.

Let’s join hands and work together with all stake-holders to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat, and strive towards a hepatitis-free future!