Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
In 2000, the global health community failed to recognise viral hepatitis as a major hindrance to development. As a result it did not appear in the Millennium Development Goals. Fifteen years later it finally got the recognition it deserves and was officially acknowledged as a global health and development priority when more than 160 global leaders signed up to 17 Sustainable Development Goals to protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable agenda.
Viral hepatitis was included as a focus area in the health related goal – Goal 3.3 – with world leaders pledging to ‘combat’ it by 2030. In response, WHO drafted the Global Viral Hepatitis Strategy which was then subsequently adopted in 2016 by all of its Member States. This Strategy carries ambitious targets which if reached will reduce the number of deaths by 65% and increase treatment rates from 1% to 80%.
“By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.”
Viral hepatitis isn’t just a health issue, it affects many areas of our society and ‘combatting’ it will contribute to achieving many other of the SDG targets:

Target 1.1

TARGET 3.1
Target 3.4
Target 3.5
Target 3.8

TARGET 6.1 /6.2

TARGET 10.2
