BIRCH team
Hepatitis UAE Elimination Stefan Wiktor
December 26, 2019 | Health News

UAE on Track to Eradicate Hepatitis C (The National - Features Stefan Wiktor)

The UAE is on course to eliminate hepatitis C within a decade with the help of a new strategy to wipe out the virus in “baby steps”.

The process of ‘micro-elimination’, which targets specific communities or at-risk groups one by one for screening and treatment, would help detect cases and treat patients who might not even know they had the condition, experts said.

BIRCH team
Lisa Manhart Epidemiology HIV Prevention HIV Hepatitis
August 07, 2019 | Health News

New Test is First in U.S. to Help Detect New STD Threat

It is hard to get much of a reputation if nobody knows you’re around, and that has definitely been the case for mycoplasma genitalium, the tiny bacteria estimated to be more prevalent than the bug that causes gonorrhea but is almost completely off the public’s radar.

That’s because, until very recently, it has been difficult for front-line physicians to confirm that this particular microbe — the smallest bacteria ever detected — was present in specific patients.

BIRCH team
Hep C Hepatitis Steve Polyak
September 13, 2016 | Health News

Stat: The Lab Breakthrough that Paved the Way for Today's Pricey Hepatitis C Cures

By Rebecca Robbins

In just the last few years, new medications have turned hepatitis C into a widely and quickly curable disease — for those who can afford it.

But the lesser-known origins of the story trace back to a 1990s laboratory invention that made it all possible. Now, two virologists who pioneered that pivotal development, and a drug researcher who created the first revolutionary drug, are being honored with one of the most prestigious awards in medical science.

BIRCH team
IHME Hepatitis GBD Lancet
July 07, 2016 | Health News

BBC: Viral Hepatitis 'Kills as Many as AIDS or TB'

By Smitha Mundasad

The report estimates that hepatitis infections and their complications led to 1.45m deaths in 2013 - despite the existence of vaccines and treatments.

World Health Organization data shows there were 1.2m AIDS-related deaths in 2014, while TB led to 1.5m deaths.

The WHO has put forward a global strategy to tackle hepatitis.

'Startling findings'

Researchers say these plans must be put into action urgently to tackle the crisis.