China Hepatitis C Elimination Project Launched in Pingquan

The China Hepatitis C Elimination Alliance Public Welfare Project was launched in Pingquan city on the morning of August 27. Li Mingyang (director of China Liver Health), Rong Yihui (deputy chief of the department of infectious liver diseases, Peking University International Hospital), Zhang Guomin (deputy chief of the infectious disease department, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College), Li Guangqing (chief of medical administration section, Pingquan Municipal Health Bureau), Ren Boqing (chief of the AIDS control and prevention section, Pingquan Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Sun Limin (deputy secretary of the party committee of Pingquan Municipal Hospital), heads of township health centers and department representatives attended the launching meeting. Yang Shuzhong, deputy director of Pingquan Municipal Hospital, presided over the meeting.

Deputy secretary Sun Limin delivered a speech at the meeting. He said that, although hepatitis C was not as impactful as the COVID-19 outbreak this year, it still led to a serious disease burden in China. Due to historical reasons, some villages and towns in China have been faced with the severe challenge of high incidence of hepatitis C, and a large number of patients have not yet received standardized treatment. With DAAs (direct-acting antiviral agents) for hepatitis C treatment included in medical Insurance program in Hebei province in 2020, great progress has been made in eliminating hepatitis C. The establishment of diagnosis and treatment base for China Hepatitis C Elimination Alliance Public Welfare Project is a recognition of Yangquan Municipal Hospital’s efforts in improving hepatitis C treatment for years. At the same time, all parties make united efforts to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C. The infectious diseases department will always adhere to the patient-centered approach, provide high-quality health care services for the public and endeavour to contribute to hepatitis C elimination in Pingquan and even the whole country.

In the speech, section chief Li Guangqing noted that viral hepatitis was a major public health problem, and the government had always paid high attention to the prevention and control work. However, at present, there are still many chronic hepatitis C patients in Pingquan, and several townships are highly endemic for hepatitis C. Many patients do not yet know that they are infected or do not receive standardized treatment after infection, which causes great health risks and economic burdens. Therefore, providing supports for them to get rid of the disease as soon as possible will not only reduce the damage to their health, but also save medical insurance funds and reduce social costs. The China Hepatitis C Elimination Alliance Public Welfare Project is of great significance for safeguarding people's health, reducing disease burden, facilitating poverty alleviation in health, and boosting national economic development. At the same time, it provides a more scientific and standardized diagnosis and treatment scheme for the majority of hepatitis C patients, and provides a good opportunity for primary-level medical institutions to grasp the latest status of hepatitis C and latest progress in hepatitis C prevention and control. We should seize the opportunity and jointly work towards the ultimate goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030 in China.

Li Mingyang, director of China Liver Health, deliver a speech. He said that, under the guidance of local health and disease control and prevention departments and based on medical insurance policy for hepatitis C, the project would carry out in-depth cooperation with local hospitals, provide supports for primary-level medical institutions to carry out health education on hepatitis C prevention and treatment in communities, and assist groups at high risk of hepatitis C in testing and diagnosis so as to contribute to eliminating hepatitis C in Pingquan.

Subsequently, director Li Mingyang awarded Pingquan Municicpal Hospital the title of diagnosis and treatment base of China Hepatitis C Elimination Alliance Public Welfare Project, and granted deputy hospital director Yang Shuzhong and chief Zhang Wei of infectious disease department as members of the national expert committee for liver Health promotion.

Director Li Mingyang also introduced the arrangements of China Hepatitis C Elimination Alliance Public Welfare Project.

Deputy chief Rong Yihui, deputy chief Zhang Guomin and chief Zhang Wei interpreted and introduced the Guideline for the Prevention and Treatment of Hepatitis C (2019 version), Global Experience and China’s Practice in Eliminating Hepatitis C, and Current Status of Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment in Pingquan respectively. 

Chief Ren Pachin gave a detailed report on hepatitis C case reports in Pingquan in 2019.

Deputy hospital director Yang Shuzhong made closing remarks. He emphasized that there were about 7.6 million people infected with hepatitis C in China. There has been less than 10 years left to achieve the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. Hepatitis prevention and control, the task of great significance and with great responsibility, is facing enormous difficulties and challenges. Through this meeting, it is hoped that grassroots medical workers will further raise the awareness of hepatitis C and attach importance to infectious disease prevention and control. It is necessary to apply scientific and effective methods to continuously standardize diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C and improve the cure rate so as to benefit more hepatitis C patients and families, and work together to create a future without hepatitis.