Advocacy, Socialization And Social Mobilization Strategy For Hepatitis B And C Control

Executive Summary

A specific advocacy, socialization and social mobilization strategy is needed in National Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis Control. The strategy has a key function which is to create a conducive environment for hepatitis prevention and control. And this target could be achieved by influence the policymakers, the general public and business actors. This strategy adopts an approach of Micro-to-Macro Elimination, which imply that all the planned interventions of hepatitis eliminations should be considerate with each sub-population’s uniqueness and needs. The approach is operationalized into these three categories of core activites, which are: 1) Advocacy to policymakers; 2) Public socialization or sensitization about hepatitis B and hepatitis C; 3) Health promotion and prevention of hepatitis B viral (HBV) and hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection in the workplace.

Advocacy will aim to promote public policies that support developmental program in the form of regulations or practices that prevent and control viral hepatitis among most-at-risk and vulnerable populations as well as among the general population for an overall improved health status. Advocacy will be implemented through these core activities, such as: 1) increase awareness among policymakers in various Ministries/Agencies at the national and sub- national level about the importance of viral hepatitis control and an enabling environment for program implementation; 2) Review current regulations, policies, and institutional mehanism that may have not support access for most-at-risk and vulnerable populations to hepatitis prevention and treatment services; 3) Engagement with various national program stakeholders that manage immunization, infection control, harm reduction, drug control, blood safety, HIV and cancer services in hepatitis intervention; 4) Engage other sectors in interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination in health services, education and employment.

Sensitization is purposed to increase individuals or communities knowledge about hepatitis prevention and treatment, and in the long term could change their behavior to be more engaged in improving their healthy living behavior. The core activites for sensitization are as follows: 1) Promote and strengthen the awareness of communities and the general public about viral hepatitis and its modes of transmission; 2) Collaborate and having a partnership with non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to create an enabling environment for an effective, equitable and efficient program scale-up; 3) Promote information and strengthen the awareness about viral hepatitis in the target population; 4) Empower most-impacted populations, including patients, individually and collectively, such that people will have expanded access to prevention and treatment services and be retained in treatment; 5) Engage impacted communities to participate in policy development, program implementation and impact monitoring; 6) Commemorate and take part in World Hepatitis Day (WHD) activities.

In addition to most-at-risk, vulnerable communities, and pregnant women, workers are also a priority population that should be the target of health promotion and hepatitis prevention. Core activities that will be done are: 1) Incorporate hepatitis control procedure into the occupational health and safety (OHS) policy that is implemented in the workplace of various industries; 2) Ensure that health promotion, prevention of HBV and HCV infection and case management efforts are carried out in the workplace; 3) Ensure adequate resources are available and staffs’ capacity to prevent and control HBV and HCV infection is strengthened; 4) Build awareness among workers about HBV and HCV transmission through sensitization and information dissemination activities.