Australia is a step closer to eliminating hepatitis B and C as public health challenges by 2030 with the release of two new national strategies today.
The new National Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Strategies 2026 to 2030 set the next stage of Australia’s world-leading national response – strengthening prevention, improving early diagnosis and ensuring people can access treatment and care.
Following extensive national consultation, the strategies build on past successes. They focus on practical action, expanding testing and diagnosis, supporting community-based care, reducing stigma, and ensuring that services reach the communities most affected.
To keep the momentum going, the Albanese Government has partnered with Hepatitis Australia to coordinate a sector-wide process to design the action plans to implement the strategies in partnership with the Australian Centre for Disease Control.
This work will help turn national priorities into clear, practical steps on the ground.
The strategies build on existing Government investment so Australians can live free from the impact of hepatitis B and C, including:
- $23.7 million to support on-the-ground hepatitis B and C initiatives, including for point-of-care testing, treatment and care, and pilot hepatitis B programs
- $51.7 million over 3 years to continue the national viral hepatitis elimination program.
Read the strategies. For information or support with viral hepatitis, visit www.heplink.au or call 1800 437 222
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister White:
“Too many people are living with viral hepatitis without knowing it or without the support they need and that’s what we’re working to change.
“These strategies focus on what makes the biggest difference, earlier testing, faster diagnosis and making sure people can access treatment and care without barriers.
“We know stigma and access are still real challenges, which is why this work prioritises community-led, culturally safe care.
“This investment by the Albanese Government is about expanding testing, strengthening care and getting us closer to eliminating viral hepatitis in Australia.
“People with lived experience, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, community and peer organisations, clinicians, researchers, and state and territory governments all contributed to shaping the strategies.
“This extensive consultation means they are grounded in evidence, informed by lived experience, and responsive to the diverse needs of communities across Australia.
“Using these two strategies as our compass, Australia can deliver one of the world’s most successful viral hepatitis elimination efforts.”
Quotes attributable to Hepatitis Australia CEO, Lucy Clynes:
“Over the past generation, Australia has made extraordinary progress in tackling hepatitis. Universal hepatitis B vaccination for newborns has protected Australian families for more than a quarter of a century, while life-saving hepatitis C cures made available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme have completely transformed treatment for thousands of Australians.
“Our hepatitis B vaccine is safe, highly effective and one of the most important tools we’ve ever had to prevent lifelong liver disease. Thanks to universal vaccination, Australia has dramatically reduced hepatitis B infections in children.
“At the same time, more than 100,000 Australians have now accessed treatment for hepatitis C, and almost 100,000 people have been cured, one of the most significant public health achievements in a generation and one of which we can all be proud.
“The new National Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Strategies build on this success and provide an important roadmap for the next phase of the response.
“By expanding testing, strengthening prevention and primary care and improving access to treatment, Australia can continue the momentum toward eliminating hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. Critically, community leadership and equity sit at the very heart of this journey.
“Hepatitis Australia and community partners across the country look forward to working with governments, clinicians and communities to deliver on these strategies.”