{"id":57170,"date":"2026-07-29T10:35:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T03:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oucru.org\/?p=57170"},"modified":"2026-07-29T13:41:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T06:41:11","slug":"world-hepatitis-day-2026-lets-break-it-down-with-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oucru.org\/id\/world-hepatitis-day-2026-lets-break-it-down-with-community\/","title":{"rendered":"World Hepatitis Day 2026: Let\u2019s break it down with community at the centre"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

28 July is World Hepatitis Day<\/a>. This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen the theme “Hepatitis: Let’s break it down!” – a call to remove the barriers that stand between people and the services that can save their lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The world already has the tools needed to eliminate viral hepatitis, such as effective vaccines, accurate diagnostics, curative treatments for hepatitis C, and lifelong therapies for hepatitis B. However, millions of people remain undiagnosed, untreated, or unable to access care due to stigma, limited awareness, health system gaps, and persistent inequalities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among key messages from WHO’s World Hepatitis Day 2026 campaign, people and communities stay at the center of eliminating viral hepatitis. Sharing the same opinion as WHO, OUCRU believes that: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When communities help shape policies, programmes and services, the response becomes more effective, accountable and responsive to people’s needs.” <\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

OUCRU’s community-based practice in supporting hepatitis research<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the importance and impact of research going hand-in-hand with integrated community participation, engagement work at OUCRU focuses on activities that are rooted in the community, including underserved groups, ensuring opportunities for them to shape research priorities and interventions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What began as community advisory board discussions led OUCRU researchers (Dr. Jennifer Ilo Van Nuil, Dr. Mary Chambers, and Prof. Graham Cooke) to a key obstacle that stops underserved communities<\/a> from accessing Hepatitis diagnosis and treatment services in Vietnam. These hard-to-reach groups, such as people who inject drugs (PWID), sex workers, and men who have sex with men (MSM), face stigma, legal barriers, and financial constraints. Together with community-based organisations, health authorities, and OUCRU, community members have voiced their perspectives through several participatory activities and provided valuable inputs that directly inform and improve the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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