10 Years To Eliminate Hepatitis B: Can it be done? Prof. Philippa Matthews

On 21 November 2019, the NIHR oxford Biomedical Research Centre hosted a free public talk at the John Radcliffe hospital: ‘Ten years to eliminate Hepatitis B: can it be done?’ by Dr Philippa Matthews of the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Medicine and the Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research.
Hepatitis B is estimated to infect almost 300 million people globally, and one third of the world’s population has been exposed to the virus. International sustainable development goals have set ambitious targets for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by the year 2030.
With a safe, effective vaccine and widely available antiviral drugs that can suppress the infection, is this goal within reach?
Using data from Africa, Dr Matthews explored the impact of HBV infection and its current treatments, and suggested the steps that could help us move towards its elimination.