The World Hepatitis Summit is a large-scale, global biennial event to advance the viral hepatitis agenda. It is a joint initiative between World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Hepatitis Alliance - in collaboration with a different host country for each Summit.

The community voice in viral hepatitis is new and needs strengthening. The Summit is designed to fill a gap in an area that has traditionally been saturated by scientific and medical conferences but has lacked a platform for civil society and government to come together for the benefit of hepatitis patients.

In bringing these two audiences together the Summit supports an important clause of WHO Resolution WHA67.6, which urges Member States to promote the involvement of civil society in all aspects of preventing, diagnosing and treating viral hepatitis.

The Summit therefore provides an ideal opportunity to engage the community and to use global media to keep the spotlight firmly on hepatitis. It also functions as a forum for discussions on how to effectively advance public health responses to the disease.