Niue on the verge of becoming first Pacific nation to eliminate hepatitis B

Niue is on the verge of becoming the first Pacific Island country to eliminate hepatitis B.

This is thanks to a joint initiative between Niue's Health Department and non-government organisation, Global Health New Zealand.

It started during the COVID-19 lockdown with over 90 percent of the island's population of around 1500 screened for Hepatitis B and C.

No cases of hepatitis C were found, but individuals with hepatitis B were connected to care and medication.

Now ahead of World Hepatitis day on Sunday, Niue is awaiting validation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be able to mark the historic milestone.

Global Health New Zealand co-founder Hazel Heal said with success in Niue the team is now committed to helping other Pacific countries use the scalable model to eliminate the liver disease.

Heal said the virus is an endemic in the Pacific and her organisation is looking to expand its program to help all the countries in the region to eliminate the disease by 2030.

"If you live in the Pacific, you are ten times more likely to die from hepatitis and liver cancer than anyone else in the world," Heal said.

"When people have Hep B and C die young, and when you have a population with 10 to 20 percent and a small island nation, the impact is so massive that even though it is expensive, it is cost-effective to rid your country of hepatitis.

"We just want to save lives," she added.

World Hepatitis Day, on 28 July, focuses on strengthening global efforts and encouraging action for a robust response as outlined in the WHO's Global 2017 Hepatitis Report.

This date was chosen as the birthday of Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus.

Global Health New Zealand will be launching a 45-minute documentary mark World Hepatitis Day.

The film from their work in Niue, will premiere on Niue TV on Friday and will have its world premiere at Tapac Theatre, Western Springs, before it is released for free on YouTube.