ULAANBAATAR - In Mongolia, the leading cause of death is liver cancer. The country has one of the highest rates in the world, accounting for an estimated one in 10 deaths. Chronic hepatitis is a key risk factor in developing liver cancer. In support of the Government of Mongolia's Healthy Liver Programme and the national goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2020, WHO and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis at the Doherty Institute are supporting strengthening of hepatitis diagnostics, surveillance and patient monitoring. This work in turn contributes to achieving the objectives of the WHO Regional Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis in the Western Pacific 2016–2020.
Following the launch of Mongolia’s Healthy Liver Programme 2017–2020 in April 2017, the Government convened the first National Workshop for Strengthening and Linking Viral Hepatitis Laboratory, Surveillance and Patient Monitoring Systems. WHO, the WHO collaborating centre and partners provided technical inputs to the workshop. Around 90 people attended, including public and private laboratory staff and managers, clinicians, and epidemiologists from across the country as well as representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Republic of Korea and the United States of America.
In August 2017, staff of WHO and the WHO collaborating centre supported the Government in adapting WHO guidelines to develop the national strategic information framework for viral hepatitis. The team also supported assessments of the 21 public and private laboratories in Mongolia that provide hepatitis C viral load testing. These activities have contributed to strengthening health services and identification of further action items to take forward.
In reflecting on the work to date, A/Prof Benjamin Cowie, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis reflected: “While there is still much to do, the Mongolian people have taken large steps towards ultimately eliminating hepatitis B and C, and are leading the world in implementing viral hepatitis screening of the entire population”.
Viral hepatitis testing station in WHO mobile laboratory, Mongolia
Learn more:
- Working with Mongolia to reduce hepatitis B
- Regional Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis in the Western Pacific 2016–2020