{"id":6251,"date":"2025-05-12T16:10:28","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T06:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/?p=6251"},"modified":"2025-05-16T09:53:30","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T00:23:30","slug":"the-hepatitis-d-global-landscape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2025\/05\/the-hepatitis-d-global-landscape\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hepatitis Delta Global Landscape"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) is calling for targeted educational programs for community-based organisations and policymakers to increase knowledge and foster stronger advocacy for more informed policy development to identify and combat hepatitis delta which affects 12 million people worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A global survey conducted by the WHA found that the biggest barrier to increasing diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis delta is widespread lack of awareness among healthcare providers, policymakers and at-risk communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 38 per cent of respondents had low levels of familiarity with hepatitis delta. Almost half of respondents in community organisations, and close to 39 per cent of policymakers, reported low levels of hepatitis delta knowledge. One in six health care providers (about 16 per cent) reporting being \u201cnot at all familiar\u201d with hepatitis delta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hepatitis Delta Global Landscape Survey by the World Hepatitis Alliance received responses from 583 individuals from 102 countries. Almost 60 per cent of community workers who responded worked in the hepatitis sector, and 50 per cent of health care provider respondents were gastroenterologists, hepatologists or infectious disease specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hepatitis delta \u2013 also known as hepatitis D \u2013 is a virus that survives only in the presence of hepatitis B. People co-infected with hepatitis B and hepatitis D are at greater risk of progressing to liver cancer and faster progression to liver cirrhosis, compared to those living with chronic hepatitis B only. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these serious outcomes, there remains a lack of data on hepatitis D, exceptionally low awareness about the virus, and little access to screening and treatment, the survey report said. Advocates and stakeholders lack the knowledge and data needed to secure funding, push for change and implement programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe evolving landscape of hepatitis delta diagnostics and treatments has led to the development of varying international guidelines, including recommendations from the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and updated World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on hepatitis B treatment,\u201d the report said, adding that \u201cto implement the testing and treatment strategies outlined in these guidelines and reach those most in need, existing barriers to access must be addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A third of respondents did not feel sufficiently informed to identify barriers to hepatitis delta testing and treatment<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The survey looked at awareness, knowledge, testing, treatment, and barriers to the last two. The key findings were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n