In my roles both on the Health & Social Care Select Committee and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Liver Disease and Liver Cancer, I am working hard to highlight the current widespread failures in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B is a blood-borne virus that can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. It disproportionately affects some of our most vulnerable and marginalised communities, including minority ethnic groups and those experiencing homelessness – exactly those groups least likely to access mainstream healthcare.
The World Health Organisation has set the goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030 and the UK has made great progress toward achieving that. Yet hepatitis B is still largely ignored, despite an estimated 268,000 living with chronic hepatitis B in the UK and potentially over half of cases remaining undiagnosed.
The British Liver Trust, with whom I work closely, have made it clear in a recent report that the UK is nowhere near on track to meet the WHO elimination goals for hepatitis B.
To do so, they are calling for significant action from government and NHS England. This includes implementing testing and vaccination of family members with hepatitis B; expanding opt-out testing to all emergency departments and funding it long-term; delivering community-based testing and vaccinations in at-risk communities; launching a national public awareness campaign to reduce stigma and improve uptake; and investing in peer support, outreach, and culturally competent care.
We have a choice: to continue on our current path and fall short of the 2030 goal – or take bold, strategic action now to improve the health outcomes and life expectancy of tens of thousands of people. I will continue to press hard for this in my work both inside and outside of Parliament. It’s time to break the silence and eliminate hepatitis B.
