German government decides to battle hepatitis B and other STD's

The German Bundestag (the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Germany) decided on 23rd November 2010 that 13 million EURO will be made available in 2011 for awareness work against sexually transmittable diseases (STD's). This also includes hepatitis B, along with HIV and other STD's.

Until recently, the German government refused to spend any money at all on hepatitis awareness campaigns. Therefore, the government's decision to include hepatitis B in their STD awareness program is a major first step for patient groups in Germany.

The main institution to carry out the awareness work will be the German Federal Center for Health Education, FCHE (in German: BZgA, Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung), who did some very successful work in HIV awareness; we hope for a good cooperation with BZgA. For the first time in German history, this means that government funds will be available for any hepatitis awareness work at all. Awareness work on hepatitis B is urgently needed as the Robert Koch Institute estimates that 400.000 to 500.000 people in Germany are living with chronic hepatitis B, which is a treatable and preventable disease. 

Several events in Europe and the world have contributed to this change of wind in Germany: The Written declaration on hepatitis C which was adopted by the European Parliament in 2007, and even more so the WHO resolution on viral hepatitis, which was adopted in May 2010. These events, combined with continuous lobbying of Deutsche Leberhilfe and German Liver Foundation with German health politicians, have finally made an impact on German policy-makers.

Deutsche Leberhilfe e.V.