Ecuador marks World Hepatitis Day – PAHO/WHO

Quito, July 28, 2023. – This morning, the webinar “Hepatitis B and C: Scaling up diagnosis and treatment to save lives” organized by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health (MSP) took place. More than 285 people participated in the virtual meeting, including: health personnel, health technicians and representatives of national institutions, civil society and international organizations, as well as the general public.

Speakers at the event included: José Ruales, Minister of Health, Ecuador; Francisco Pérez, Deputy Minister of Health Surveillance, Prevention and Control; Valeska Stempliuk, PAHO/WHO Health Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Adviser; and Gabriela Yerovi, PAHO/WHO National Adviser on HIV, STIs, Viral Hepatitis and Tuberculosis.

Minister Ruales explained that Ecuador has developed a strategic approach to viral hepatitis that includes promotion, prevention and care. Within this framework, protocols for the management of viral hepatitis developed jointly with these disease advisory committees are ongoing and applied. “We must address the causes and consequences of this important public health problem,” the minister said.

Viral hepatitis causes a significant burden of disease and mortality worldwide: In the Americas, nearly 80,000 new hepatitis B and C infections occur each year, most of which go unnoticed and some More than 100,000 hepatitis-related deaths each year. The key, however, is prevention, as there are highly effective vaccines and treatments to prevent and treat viral hepatitis, he said.

“Currently, timely and accessible diagnosis is possible through rapid testing and low-cost treatments and vaccines, including hepatitis B immunoglobulin, and PAHO works with countries in the region through strategic and revolving funds,” he explained .

Also during the virtual meeting, prizes were presented to the winners of the Second National Viral Hepatitis Video Contest, organized with technical support from the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization to spread awareness around the virus Potential hepatitis challenges and solutions hepatitis.

PAHO/WHO works closely with the Ecuadorian Health Organization to comprehensively strengthen public health in Ecuador through policies, strategies and programs to protect the health and well-being of all people.

You can watch the entire webinar in commemoration of World Hepatitis Day via MSP Facebook