Victorian hepatitis B plan 2022–30

The hepatitis B plan details our vision of eliminating hepatitis B as a public health concern by 2030.

This plan is 1 of 7 plans in the Victorian sexual and reproductive health and viral hepatitis strategy 2022–30. It builds on the objectives, focus areas and outcomes in the Victorian hepatitis B strategy 2016–2020. It outlines the priority actions implemented to date and includes new and refocused priority actions needed to meet our elimination agenda.

This plan aims to strengthen prevention, testing, treatment and care so people can be diagnosed earlier, linked into care and reduce their risk of liver cancer. For the first time, this plan also includes a target to reduce deaths caused by hepatitis B.

Our vision

Eliminate hepatitis B as a public health concern by 2030.

Goals

• Victorians are supported to reduce their risk of acquiring hepatitis B.
• Victorians living with hepatitis B know their status.
• Victorians living with hepatitis B have access to best-practice evidence-based treatment and care.
• Stigma, racism and discrimination are not a barrier to hepatitis B prevention, testing, treatment and care.

System enablers

• reducing stigma, racism and discrimination
• strengthening workforce capacity
• fostering partnerships and collaboration
• strengthening and supporting data and research.

Monitoring and measuring progress

• we will develop an indicators and monitoring framework in collaboration with key research partners and affected communities
• a mid-point review in 2025-26 will assess progress against achieving our 2025 and 2030 targets
• findings will be used to refresh and refocus priority actions and activities in this plan.

Achievements since 2016

Victoria’s infant hepatitis B vaccination programs continue to deliver high vaccination coverage. In September 2021, 95 per cent of Victorian children aged 12 to 15 months had received the recommended number of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines (95 per cent also for Aboriginal children).

The Victorian HIV and Hepatitis Integrated Training and Learning program trains primary healthcare providers in managing Blood Borne Virus and Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). Between 2016 and 2021, the number of general practitioners accredited to prescribe s100 HBV medicines increased from less than 10 to 62.

Increasing the number of prescribers allows us to expand access to people living with HBV to have their treatment and care managed in local primary and community care.

Justice Health has set up the statewide Hepatitis Program, delivered by St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. It offers a network of hepatitis clinics across the
Victorian custodial facilities to ensure people in prison are assessed and treated for chronic hepatitis B and C.

On release, people who have been managed under the program are provided with a management plan and a referral to a community provider.

2030 targets*

• Achieve and maintain childhood vaccination coverage of 95 per cent at birth, 12 and 24 months
• Achieve and maintain 100 per cent uptake of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIg) and birth dose vaccine for all infants born to women with chronic hepatitis B, and access to antiviral therapy in the third trimester of pregnancy for women with high hepatitis B viral load
• Reduce the number of newly acquired hepatitis B infections by 90 per cent, with a focus on priority populations.
• Increase the proportion of people living with chronic hepatitis B who are diagnosed to 90 per cent
• Increase the total proportion of people living with chronic hepatitis B receiving care to 90 per cent. For people living with chronic hepatitis B and eligible for treatment, increase the proportion receiving antiviral treatment to 27 per cent
• Reduce hepatitis B-attributable mortality by 35 per cent (compared with 2017)
• Reduce the reported experiences of stigma, racism and discrimination among people living with or affected by hepatitis B in health and social support settings to less than 10 per cent
• Eliminate mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B.

* Stepped targets for 2025 are outlined in the plan