Over 5,500 liver experts to attend Asia-Pacific meeting in Beijing

The 34th annual meeting of the Asian-Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver is scheduled to take place in Beijing from March 26 to 30, according to the Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control, which will co-host the event with the association.

Themed "Multidisciplinary Collaboration for Elimination & Cure," the five-day event will cover a wide range of topics from fundamental research to clinical management. 

It will also provide a platform for researchers worldwide to present their findings, exchange experiences, and forge partnerships aimed at achieving the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030 as set by the World Health Organization. 

Wei Lai, the meeting's president and director of the Tsinghua Changgung Hospital's hepatopancreatobiliary center, said that this year's gathering will highlight the sharing of experiences in the prevention and treatment of viral hepatitis in China and the entire Asia-Pacific, strategies for achieving the functional cure of hepatitis B, multidisciplinary collaboration for enhancing overall health, and a forum showcasing women's leadership in the field.

Additionally, several significant research studies led by scholars from China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific will be released during the event, Wei added.

The conference is expected to gather more than 5,500 attendees from about 55 countries and regions. As of Mar 18, it has received a total of 2,751 submissions.

Viral hepatitis poses a significant global public health challenge, with an estimated 254 million individuals living with hepatitis B and 50 million with hepatitis C worldwide. Together, these two prevalent forms of hepatitis result in 3,500 deaths caused by liver cancer and other liver diseases daily, according to data released by the WHO. 

Wei noted that about two-thirds of hepatitis infections occur in the Asia-Pacific, with half of them located in China.

As the World Health Organization aims to reduce new hepatitis infections worldwide by 90 percent and related deaths by 65 percent from 2016 to 2030, Wei stressed that China's efforts and experiences in combating the viral disease will be crucial.

Wang Yu, chairman of the Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control and former director-general of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the positivity rate of hepatitis B surface antigen among children under five in China had dropped to 0.3 percent in 2020, achieving the target set by the WHO for the Western Pacific in advance.

Despite this remarkable progress, there are still 75 million individuals infected with hepatitis B in China, with about 30 million unaware of their infection status, according to a nationwide study released last year.

Looking ahead, Wang said that it is important to promptly identify infected patients and provide them with timely treatment services, as well as implement surveillance for early-stage liver cancer and ensure access to treatment.

Tian Zhaosen contributed to the story.