Diplomatic Leaders and Global Health Experts Unite in Washington to Tackle Hepatitis Elimination
- By Jahanzaib Ali -
- Sep 29, 2024
The Embassy of Portugal in Washington, D.C., in partnership with the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination (CGHE), hosted a high-profile reception aimed at advancing global efforts to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat.
Attended by ambassadors, U.S. policymakers, and international health leaders, the event underscored the urgency of meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to eliminate hepatitis globally.
The reception, held at the residence of Ambassador Francisco Duarte Lopes, drew a diverse range of participants, including ambassadors to the U.S. from Ukraine, Timor-Leste, Malta, the Bahamas, Slovenia, and Cabo Verde.
Representatives from the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Office, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Congressional Budget Office, and staffers from the offices of Representative Mary Peltola (Alaska) and Senators Martin Heinrich (New Mexico) and Bill Cassidy (Louisiana) were also present.
The event featured remarks by Ambassador Lopes, who highlighted Portugal’s commitment to combating hepatitis and emphasized the importance of global collaboration in achieving hepatitis elimination. Nobel Laureate Dr. Harvey Alter, who discovered the Hepatitis C virus, provided a historical overview of the journey from the virus’s discovery to the development of safe and effective treatments.
Dr. Francis Collins, former NIH Director and Science Advisor to the White House, unveiled the new U.S. Hepatitis C Elimination Program, describing it as a “game changer” for public health. “A finger-stick test at the point of care that gives an answer in less than an hour; now we can test and tell the patient the same day, ‘You’re positive! Here’s your bottle of pills.’ This is a breakthrough,” Collins said, noting bipartisan support for the initiative from Senators Bill Cassidy and Chris Van Hollen.
The evening concluded with a discussion on global strategies for hepatitis elimination, with contributions from Dr. John Ward (CGHE), Dr. Emma Wilson (Australia), Dr. Alethse de la Torre Rosas (Mexico), and Ms. Jade Stocks (United Kingdom), highlighting successful elimination efforts worldwide.