DILI, 28 july 2023 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Health (MoH), with the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO), is committed to fighting hepatitis B and C in the country by extending viral hepatitis testing and treatment to regional and municipal hospitals.
“Currently, treatment for viral hepatitis is only available at the Guido Valadares National Hospital (HNGV) as a pilot project. Therefore, the Government should invest and extend the treatment to regional and municipal hospitals,” José dos Reis Magno, Deputy Health Minister for Strengthening Health Institutions, said at the National Workshop on World Hepatitis Day, in Dili, today.
He said the plan to extend hepatitis testing and treatment to the regional and municipal hospitals is part of the IX Government’s commitment to bring health services closer to communities.
“Timor-Leste’s National Strategic Plan for HIV, STIs and Viral Hepatitis for 2022-2026 is already in place. And we have enough human resources to provide treatment services for viral hepatitis. The only thing we lack is medicines. There are two antiviral drugs for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, including tenofovir and entecavir,” said Minister Magno.
He emphasized that among the five main hepatitis (A, B, C, D, and E), hepatitis B is very common in Timor-Leste, with a very high prevalence: “Therefore, we need to increase testing and treatment of viral hepatitis. We also need to raise awareness of viral hepatitis in Timor-Leste.”
Viral Hepatitis continues to be Public Health Concern in Timor-Leste, with 1381 positive cases recorded in 2022.
At the same place, the Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to Timor-Leste, Arvind Mathur reiterated WHO’s commitment to support Timor-Leste in scaling up the use of effective tools against Hepatitis, especially testing and treatment.
“WHO is supporting MoH in developing the national guidelines on Hepatitis B and C, and implementation of comprehensive Hepatitis B operational plan covering three broad areas – 1) Prevention for HBV, 2) Diagnosis and treatment of HBV, and 3) Strategic information of HBV,” Mathur said. “Our goal is clear – by 2030, we aim to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat. This means a 90% reduction in incidence and a 65% reduction in mortality compared to the figures of 2015. It’s an ambitious target, but one that we firmly believe that by scaling up the testing and treatment of viral hepatitis this is possible.”
He said that in Timor-Leste, despite progress in Hepatitis testing and vaccination, controlling Hepatitis B remains a challenge due to the lack of dedicated funds for the Viral Hepatitis Program, and limited surveillance beyond blood bank data.
“I am happy to highlight that Timor-Leste has already moved towards an integrated HIV, Hepatitis, and STI National Strategic Plan 2022-26. In addition to this, the national guidelines on Hepatitis B and C are proposed to be developed with WHO technical and financial support,” he said.
“We must prioritize funding, strengthen surveillance, and implement the integrated and costed HIV, Hepatitis, and STI National Strategic Plan 2022-2026.”
WHO supported the procurement of supplies and essential health products including IEC Materials, Hepatitis B Vaccines and viral load cartridges, Hepatitis B treatment, HIV Self Testing kits, and HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs for KPs and high-risk individuals.
At the national workshop on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, titled: “Bringing hepatitis treatment closer to the community”, WHO also handed over HIV self-testing and PrEP IEC materials to the National AIDS Program, along with the recently endorsed fully costed and integrated HIV, Hepatitis, and STI National Strategic Plan 2022-26.
World Hepatitis Day (WHD) takes place every year on 28 July bringing the world together under a single theme to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change.
The theme for World Hepatitis Day 2023 is “One life, one liver” and it is positioned to illuminate the importance of the liver to the hepatitis elimination agenda.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
