Innovative approaches and new thinking are needed to turn the tide on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer.   

Liver cancer claims almost a million lives each year. Chronic viral hepatitis is its leading cause. As recognised in the political declaration of the fourth UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on NCDs, diagnosis and treatment for hepatitis B and C, as well as vaccination for hepatitis B, can prevent new cases, increase early diagnosis and improve survival rates.  

Ahead of the UN High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) in September 2025, WHA organised a hybrid side event to bring together stakeholders from across the political and global health landscape to explore how to accelerate country-level action to scale up person-centred liver cancer prevention and NCD control through comprehensive hepatitis programmes.  

Chaired by Rachel Halford, President of WHA, speakers included: 

• Danjuma Adda, Executive Director, CFID Taraba and Chagro-Care Trust 

• Anamaria Bejar, Director – Public Policy Engagement, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance 

• Cary James, Chief Executive, World Hepatitis Alliance 

• Professor Mohamed Hassany, Assistant Minister of Health for Public Health Initiatives, Egypt 

• Jessica Hicks, Senior Director, World Hepatitis Alliance 

• Eliana Monteforte, Director of International Advocacy and Engagement, Global Health Council and Advisory Group Member of the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM) for UHC2030 

• Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, President-elect, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) 

• Lujing Wang, MD, MPH, Managing Partner, Acsel Health 

The event explored how the ‘Patient Charter to Improve Care for Hepatocellular Carcinoma’ and WHA’s recent white paper, ‘Beating cancer through hepatitis elimination – working together to reduce NCDs’ can drive change.  

Key takeaways from the discussion included: 

• The link between communicable and noncommunicable diseases, including hepatitis and liver cancer, is often overlooked and so stakeholders from all sectors, including communities and civil society, must work together to build awareness to increase uptake of preventative services, including hepatitis testing and vaccination.  

• Hepatitis testing, treatment and vaccination are cost-effective interventions to reduce incidence and mortality from liver cancer. 

• Health care professionals must receive increased training on hepatitis and its connection to liver cancer to improve early diagnosis.  

• It is essential to integrate hepatitis services into primary health care as a pillar of universal health coverage (UHC) packages to make health systems stronger – primary health care is the best way to take a one health systems approach and bring health services to communities.  

• Civil society organisations and people with lived experience must be at centre of the NCD response and must be empowered through social participation to engage governments.  

• Stigma and discrimination faced by people living with hepatitis continues to be a barrier to elimination. Communities and civil society are uniquely placed to address stigma and discrimination, as they raise awareness and increase knowledge by providing educational materials. 

• By taking a person-centred approach to health care, with civil society playing a central role, governments can ensure that NCD policies and programmes respond to communities’ needs and that no one is left waiting.