If you haven’t already seen it, we want to encourage you to take some time to learn about the National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2017-2020 (Action Plan). The updated Action Plan represents a new phase and is the nation’s roadmap for addressing viral hepatitis in the United States. It reflects recent trends in viral hepatitis infections and deaths, as well as new and improved strategies for prevention, care, and treatment.

The updated plan outlines four major goals, strategies to achieve those goals, and indicators to help track progress between now and 2020.  The Action Plan was developed collaboratively by 23 federal partners from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and Veterans Affairs with input from nonfederal stakeholders from a variety of sectors.

The Action Plan is a national plan, not just a federal plan. It recognizes that success cannot be achieved by federal action alone—it requires the support and commitment of a broad mix of stakeholders from various sectors, both public and private. The Action Plan’s goals and strategies are intended to guide individuals and organizations from all sectors of society to strengthen our collective national response to HBV and HCV infection. Everyone has a role to play in the battle against viral hepatitis in the United States.

The National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2017-2020 (Action Plan) is our nation’s battle plan for fighting viral hepatitis in the United States. The updated plan outlines strategies to achieve four major goals and includes indicators to help track progress between now and 2020. The goals are:

Goal 1: Prevent new viral hepatitis infections
Goal 2: Reduce deaths and improve the health of people living with viral hepatitis
Goal 3: Reduce viral hepatitis health disparities
Goal 4: Coordinate, monitor, and report on implementation of viral hepatitis activities

Join us in the fight as we move towards realizing the vision of the Action Plan:

The United States will be a place where new viral hepatitis infections have been eliminated, where all people with chronic hepatitis B and C know their status, and everyone with chronic hepatitis B and C has access to high quality health care and curative treatments, free from stigma and discrimination.

In the weeks and months ahead, you’ll be hearing more from us and some of our Federal and nonfederal partners about the Action Plan, what is being done around the country to reach its goals, and other tools and information that should be useful to you in helping us achieve this vision for the nation.

Richard Wolitski, Ph.D., is Director, Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; This post was reprinted from AIDS.gov, January 19, 2017.