Distinguished delegates,
Partners and colleagues
Thank you to all of you—country programme leaders and policy makers, civil society and community voices, implementing partners, donors, and WHO colleagues.
You have given today’s discussions substance and candour, and that has made all the difference.
This was more than a technical briefing.
It was a clear and honest look at where we stand.
Let me leave you with four messages based on what I heard.
First: progress is real—but fragile.
Countries have shown that elimination is possible. But gains stall when hepatitis loses priority.
Second: elimination demands a shift in approach.
Not more of the same—but simplification, integration into primary health care, and sharper, data-driven targeting.
Third: partnerships must work differently.
Not fragmented efforts, but structured alignment behind country priorities—capable of sustaining advocacy, mobilizing resources, and delivering at scale.
Fourth: investment is decisive.
Country-led investment cases—linking health impact with economic return—are essential to unlock and sustain financing.
Running through all of this is a clear call:
elimination for everyone, everywhere, right now.
That means reaching vulnerable populations by design—not as an afterthought.
It means strengthening prevention, including PMTCT, and sustaining immunization gains.
And it means making services accessible, affordable, and genuinely people-centred.
As we move into the Summit, three asks:
For countries: take forward the priority actions—adapt guidance, strengthen investment cases, and embed hepatitis within UHC and primary health care.
For partners and donors: align behind country-led priorities and sustain your support in a constrained environment.
For WHO: we must continue to serve as a trusted technical partner and a committed convener—supporting and accelerating implementation, and monitoring progress. Our country offices remain the foundation of that work.
Let us leave not just informed—but ready to act, together.