Campaigns
Scotland
A national government led campaign in Scotland is expected in the near future following the release of the Hepatitis C Action Plan for Scotland - Phase I: September 2006 - August 2008.
Wales
A national government led campaign to raise awareness of hepatitis C (and possibly hepatitis B) is under consideration in Wales as they develop their national strategy and action plan.
Northern Ireland
The Strategic Framework and Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Hepatitis C in Northern Ireland detailed the professional and public awareness raising that would be undertaken during 2004-2007.
England
The Depart of Health funds the agency Munro and Foster to raise both public and professional awareness of hepatitis C across England as part of the national 'FaceIt Campaign' which is now in its third year. We recommend you review the FaceIt campaign web site for their current activities and resources for hepatitis C. The FaceIt Campaign held a series of events in central London to mark World Hepatitis Awareness Day in 2006.
First National Hepatitis C Awareness Day (England)
The Resource Centre initiated the first national (England wide) hepatitis C awareness day in the UK, funded by the Department of Health (England). This built on previous regional awareness days run by the Eddystone Trust in Plymouth. We worked hard to promote this and over time, the 1st July became established as an annual hepatitis C awareness day in England in partnership with leading voluntary sector organisations in this field including the British Liver Trust, the Eddystone Trust, the Hepatitis C Trust and the Haemophilia Society between 2001-2003.
United Kingdom
The UK Hepatitis C Resource Centre expanded its awareness raising activities to launch the first UK wide Hepatitis C Awareness Day and Campaign on the 1st July 2004 when its Centres in Scotland and England amalgamated. We have held parliamentary events in Scotland, England and Wales to mark the awareness day supported by the respective Departments of Health. Our programme of activities, events and workshops on hepatitis C then followed across the UK which subsequently migrated to the 1st Oct as part of an international cooperative as described below.
Our awareness campaign and activities in the UK continued throughout 2005 and are on-going in 2006 including conferences, radio shows, workshops, parliamentary events and large scale information dissemination. The Centre held its parliamentary event this year in Edinburgh to mark the release of the Hepatitis C Action Plan for Scotland - Phase I: September 2006 - August 2008. Full details of our activities in 2006 are available.
International
During 2004, an International HCV Patient Advocacy Group was formed sponsored by Roche Pharmaceuticals International and coordinated by Axon Communications. The group was initially a cooperative initiative between national voluntary hepatitis and liver agencies across Europe, typically two agencies per country. Member agencies agreed to focus on raising awareness of hepatitis C as a priority. Firstly, to establish an International Hepatitis C Awareness Day and secondly to seek official recognition for this from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The 1st Oct was agreed as an annual hepatitis C awareness day by the group. Each agency then sought support for this in their own country.
In the UK, the Resource Centre sought agreement from leading UK stakeholders and its funders (the Dept of Health in England and the Scottish Executive) to migrate the UK Hepatitis C Awareness Day from the 1st July to the 1st Oct which was agreed unanimously.
Most countries involved in the international cooperative successfully moved their respective national awareness days to the 1st Oct.
World wide
The International HCV Patient Advocacy Group described above successfully progressed recognition of the 1st Oct as World Hepatitis Awareness Day. At the same time, the majority of the international organisations began to co-found a European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) to progress national and international policy and strategy affecting viral hepatitis and other forms of liver disease.
WHO Europe agreed to officially support a World Hepatitis Awareness Day on the 1st Oct 2006 to acknowledge hepatitis B and C as world concerns. Sir Bob Geldof also agreed to support the day and to participate via a video release. World Hepatitis Awareness Day was therefore launched in 2006 at the WHO Europe headquartners in Copenhagen as a global media event. We were delighted to participate by speaking briefly on stigma, discrimination and coinfection.
European Liver Patients Association (ELPA)
Across Europe testing and treatment rates remain inconsistent. So do government efforts to raise awareness and instigate public policy to tackle the spread of the disease or its impact. As part of the Hepatitis Awareness Day in 2005, ELPA submitted a petition signed by tens of thousands of Europeans to the European Union (EU) Health Commissioner calling for concerted and unified action to tackle viral hepatitis. Please review the ELPA web site for further details of this petition.
In 2006, ELPA and WHO Europe collaborated to conduct a mapping exercise for both hepatitis B and C to compare responses to the disease in its member countries which was highlighted at the global media event to mark World Hepatitis Awareness Day on the 1st Oct this year.
World Hepatitis Awareness Day is the 1st Oct each year.
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