For World Hepatitis Day 2021 Australia adopted the global theme of Hep Can’t Wait! In this article we highlight some of the activities that took place in Australia and through our global partners.

World Hepatitis Day is held on 28 July each year and is an international event observed by the United Nations and one of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) seven officially mandated global public health days. World Hepatitis Day is an opportunity to step up national and international efforts on addressing hepatitis. It helps encourage engagement and action by individuals, partners and the public and to highlight the need for a greater global response to hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

To recognise World Hepatitis Day 2021, Hepatitis Australia collaborated with many Australian organisations, research institutes and professional bodies to spread the word that with an estimated 340,000 people in Australia living with hepatitis B and hepatitis C – even in the current COVID-19 crisis – Australia can’t wait to eliminate hepatitis.

A series of in-person and digital events took place around Australia, as well as some international webinars and Asia-Pacific regional events. Some of those events are now available on-demand.

With the impacts of COVID-19 ongoing, social media has been important in raising the profile of World Hepatitis Day. There were more than 450 tweets using the hashtags #WorldHepatitisDay or #HepCantWait from Australian Twitter accounts, and more than 1,300 visitors to the Australian World Hepatitis Day website this year. 

Below are some highlights from World Hepatitis Day 2021 but events to commemorate World Hepatitis Day keep going through August. Visit the World Hepatitis Day website to find out how you can continue to get involved.

Australia’s Minister for Health, Hon Greg Hunt MP shared an inspiring World Hepatitis Day Message with the community.

Hepatitis Australia launched a World Hepatitis Day Fact Sheet which features the latest stats on hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and vital steps for Australia to eliminate hepatitis.

The Burnet Institute shared a rich lineup of presenters to explore new arenas in eliminating viral hepatitis at their World Hepatitis Day Symposium 2021

Doherty Institute researcher and World Hepatitis Alliance Board Member, Lien Tran explained why Hep Can’t Wait!

Hepatitis Queensland organised 27 landmarks across Queensland to be lit up green for a week to raise awareness of liver disease and World Hepatitis Day! Green is the colour of the global #NOhep initiative to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.

Hepatitis ACT celebrated 25 years by unveiling its new mural at a community event on World Hepatitis Day 2021