A Policy Seminar and Medical Training Session Held in Yulin, Shaanxi Province

On March 7^th, 2018, the China Hepatitis C Eradication Alliance Public Welfare Project team held a public health policy seminar and medical training session for hepatitis C in Yulin, Shaanxi Province.

At the seminar

Zhu Hongming (deputy mayor of Yulin), Gao Zhizhong (deputy Director of Yulin Municipal Health and FamilyPlanning Bureau), Yang Xinzheng (a consultant from Shaanxi Medical Insurance Center), and leadersfrom Municipal Center for Disease Control and Management Office for New Rural Cooperative Medical Service were invited to participate in the policy seminar. They had an in-depth exchange of views on implementing the project and including hepatitis C drugs into local medical insurance with academician Zhuang Hui (the honorary chairman of the board of China Liver Health), Prof. Wei Lai (the chairman of the board of China Liver Health), Li Mingyang (the director of China Liver Health), Pang Lin (the director of Liver Disease Prevention and Control Office, China CDC), Prof. Han Ying from Xijing Hospital, Wang Xiaobin (the secretary of Yulin Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital), and etc.

Zhu Hongming, deputy mayor of Yulin, gave a speech.

Deputy mayor Zhu Hongming delivered a warm speech:

There are about 10 million hepatitis C patients in China and many of them are in Yulin. Without timely screening, it will cause a lot of trouble. Aiming to achieve the goal of completely curing hepatitis C, the Hepatitis C Eradication Project is of great significance. We need to carry out work from an all-around perspective, including science popularization, health education for patients, community screening, and training for doctors as well as making good use of medical insurance and assistance. Drugs are now available. However, if those drugs are not covered by medical insurance, most patients can’t afford it. We can discuss more on it later. Academician Zhuang Hui has done a lot of work for eliminating hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Professor Wei Lai has done manyclinical researches on oral drugs for hepatitis C. Relying on this project and guidance from authoritative experts, we believe liver disease prevention and treatment in Yulin can take a good step forward. Additionally, it is not only about disease control, but also a huge help for us to enhance people’s well-being and build a well-off society in an all-round way, especially to improve the accessibility of the poor to treatment and promote targeted poverty alleviation. I hope that we can launch the project as soon as possible and that all experts give some suggestions on the public health policy of Yulin. Iwish China Hepatitis C Eradication Alliance Public Welfare Project great achievements in Yulin.

Academician Zhuang Hui introduced the status quo and challenges of hepatitis C prevention and treatment in China and his expectations for the project:

Yulin is the first city to launch the project in China and that the project will help cure 95% of hepatitis C patients in Yulin. It will be a great encouragement to the government, patients and the public. Experience from the project can also be extended to other regions. Leaders at all levels in Yulin have attached great importance to the project and we believe that all work would be carried out smoothly.

Academician Zhuang Hui introduced the status quo of hepatitis C prevention and treatment in China.

Yang Xinzheng, a consultant from Shaanxi Medical Insurance Center, and leaders from Management Office for New Rural Cooperative Medical Service introduced the situation of medical insurance in Shaanxi and Yulin and the situation of new rural cooperative medical insurance in Yulin:

There are about 300,000 employees and 400,000 residents who pay medical insurance and the number of retirees is only 60,000 in Yulin. With a good personnel structure, the funds of medical insurance for employees and residents don’t face much pressure. However, there is a problem of unbalanced use of the new rural cooperative medical insurance fund.

Prof. Wei Lai, Prof. Pang Lin, Prof. Han Ying, representative from Bristol-Myers Squibb (a member of the public welfare project), and Secretary Wang Xiaobin also elaborated on the ideas and suggestions for the elimination of hepatitis C.

Deputy mayor Zhu Hongming put forward specific requirements for the implementation of the project:

It is necessary to pay close attention to the coordination of various departments, to ensure the rational use of resources and timely treatment, to enhance and standardize informed consent for patients, to follow experts’ guidance on the treatment plan and to clarify the cooperation responsibility from local hospitals. The medical administration office and the disease prevention and control office under the Municipal Health and Family Planning Bureau should take the lead in the design of the project plan with close cooperation from China Liver Health. The detailed plan should include publicity, training, screening and treatment. Yulin Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital is the implementation site for the project. Preparatory work should start as soon as possible and medical insurance work should follow up.

During the medical training session

At the medical training session, Prof. Han Ying from Xijing Hospital, Prof. Feng Bo and Prof. Fang Jilian from Peking University People's Hospital, Prof. Wang Linxu from Tangdu Hospital, Prof. Rong Yihui from Peking University International Hospital, Prof. Liu Fanrong from Yulin Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, deputy director Shen Yingsheng from China Liver Health provided training for nearly 200 physicians from infectious, hepatic, and laboratory departments from Yulin and subordinate counties. They made presentations on the status quo and countermeasures of hepatitis C in Shaanxi province, hepatitis C antiviral therapy, hepatitis C screening and management standard, analysis of common issues in hepatitis B diagnosis and treatment, interpretation of China's hepatitis C guideline, and tasks of China Hepatitis C Eradication Alliance Public Welfare Project.

Professor Fang Jilian

Professor Rong Yihui