Australia has very good health surveillance systems compared to many other countries. Annual surveillance reports are published to inform responses and measure the progress against the national strategies related to blood-borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections. Australia has set national targets for 2022 and has signed on to the World Health Organisation global hepatitis targets for 2030.

The following is a selection of key statistics drawn from the latest surveillance data gathered in Australia and were relevant indicated the relevant national targets.

Hepatitis B Statistics for Australia

At the end of 2017 there was:

  • 233,947 people in Australia living with chronic hepatitis B*
  • only an estimated  64% of those living with chronic hepatitis B have been diagnosed.* (national target is 80%)
  • an estimated 479 deaths attributable to hepatitis B*
  • only 18% of those with chronic hepatitis B were receiving clinical care*
  • only 8% of people with chronic hepatitis B were receiving antiviral therapy.* (national target is 15%)

Hepatitis C Statistics for Australia

At the end of 2017 there was:

  • 182,144 people in Australia living with chronic hepatitis C*
  • 10,537 notifications of hepatitis C in Australia*
  • and estimated 584 death attributable to hepatitis C during 2016-2017*
  • 66 liver transplants due to chronic hepatitis C or hepatitis C‑related hepatocellular carcinoma*
  • 21 370 people who received hepatitis C treatment* and
  • 20 302 (95% of those treated) were cured during 2017*

Access to the new hepatitis C treatments.

  • an estimated 70,260 people accessed new treatments for hepatitis between March 2016 - December 2018^

*Data Source: Kirby Institute. HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia: annual surveillance report 2018. Sydney: Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney; 2018.

^Kirby Institute, Monitoring hepatitis C treatment uptake in Australia, Issue #10 June 2019, University of NSW, Sydney Australia

Page updated: 20 June 2019