hepVoice Vol.16 | Page 2

A note from the CEO of the World Hepatitis Alliance As World Hepatitis Day (WHD) gets ever closer, it’s important to remember the individual impact each and every one of us can make towards the elimination of viral hepatitis. Last month we launched this year’s WHD campaign - #ShowYourFace – and the response has been phenomenal. Hundreds of individuals and organisations are already adopting it to show both the impact we as individuals can have on tackling hepatitis but also – and crucially – the impact viral hepatitis can have on us, the individuals. Our Wall of Stories re-launch goes one step further in telling these stories and truly showing how viral hepatitis can affect our lives. Do take some time to read through the stories from people who have been brave enough to share. It is always encouraging see viral hepatitis also being championed at higher levels and this month saw our Executive Board Member, Kenneth Kabagambe, meet with the Ministry of Health in Rwanda as well as Bollywood megastar, Amitabh Bachchan, back our cause. So as World Hepatitis Day gets nearer, it is time to feel inspired and empowered by the stories of others fighting for a world free from viral hepatitis and ensure we play our part in the elimination of this global killer. We hope you enjoy reading! Contents This month World Hepatitis Day Wall of Stories Hepatitis Awareness Month WHA Member Activities Meetings across the globe WHO Goodwill Ambassador World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference 4 6 8 10 12 14 15 Stay connected www.worldhepatitisalliance.org Raquel Peck Chief Executive Officer Want to contribute? We welcome your contributions so please get in touch at [email protected] to have your news included in future issues and feel free to share the magazine with your network 2 hep Voice May 2017 [email protected] www.facebook.com/worldhepalliance @Hep_Alliance hep Voice May 2017 3