Hepatitis Australia is calling for a nationwide rollout of the universal offer of hepatitis B testing for people aged over 25.
Without medical intervention, one in four people living with chronic hepatitis B will die from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. More than 220,000 people in Australia live with hepatitis B, yet one in four do not know they have it.
Hepatitis Australia CEO Lucy Clynes said universal testing for hepatitis B is the next crucial step.
“We will not eliminate hepatitis B or reduce liver cancer deaths without universal testing for people over 25,” said Ms Clynes.
“Hepatitis B is often symptomless until it’s too late. Diagnosis unlocks access to simple, effective treatment that protects the liver and prevents cancer. But people can’t get care if they don’t know they’re living with this virus.”
Australia's draft Fourth National Hepatitis B Strategy outlines how the country can meet its goal to eliminate hepatitis B as a public health threat by 2030. To achieve this, 90 per cent of people living with hepatitis B must be diagnosed, and 80 per cent engaged in care.
Only 73 per cent of patients are diagnosed, and less than a quarter are in regular care. The strategy acknowledges that testing based on risk factors alone has failed to lift diagnosis rates meaningfully in the past decade. It explicitly supports population-wide testing offers as a path forward.
“Most people with hepatitis B got it at birth or in early childhood and have no idea they carry the virus. These people aren’t being reached through current risk-based approaches,” said Ms Clynes.
“We commend the federal government for its national, strategic approach and for the ongoing investment in viral hepatitis. A universal offer of testing is the critical next step in hepatitis B elimination.”