Gilead Sciences has awarded a $4 million ALL4LIVER grant to global organizations fighting viral hepatitis, according to a news release.

 

First awarded in 2021, the ALL4Liver grant aims to empower local communities worldwide by supporting innovative projects focusing on hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HVC) and hepatitis D (HVD). Gilead announced the grant at a Gilead symposium held during the World Hepatitis Summit.

 

A panel of global experts, including the World Hepatitis Alliance, which has long collaborated with Gilead, selected the grant recipients.

 

"With the World Health Organization’s 2030 goal to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat fast approaching, the need for a multi-stakeholder approach is more urgent than ever,” Deepshikha Kiyawat, general manager of Gilead Global Patient Solutions, South East and Central Asia, said in the release. “With the ALL4LIVER Grant, we’re proud to join forces with our community partners and academic institutions more closely, nurturing innovative solutions specifically tailored to local challenges.”

 

Of the 71 organizations awarded the grant, two Vietnamese nonprofits were honored: the Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (IGH) and Vietnam Viral Hepatitis Alliance (VVHA).

 

Viral hepatitis is a significant public health concern in Vietnam. In fact, more than 70% of people in Vietnam have HBV but do not know their status despite affordable and available options for HBV prevention and management, including effective screening and diagnostic programs. What’s more, almost all (95%) of diagnosed HCV cases are untreated in Vietnam, according to the news release.

 

To help reduce hepatitis rates in Vietnam, the grant will support IGH and VVHA in launching innovative projects to increase public awareness, testing and linkage to care while emphasizing viral hepatitis elimination as a pressing public health priority.

 

VVHA intends to use the grant to fund the DETECT-B program, which will implement scalable, evidence-based interventions to promote HBV testing, access to care and treatment in primary care settings. The program will be tested in Vietnam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, which has a population of nearly 9 million people.

 

With the grant, AGH will develop a digital platform to provide users with public information on HBV. Created with Vietnamese liver health experts, the care app will emphasize the importance of access and adherence to HBV care.  

 

“We believe that by enhancing the early detection and proactive management of HBV, we can improve the awareness and thus the treatment environment of people living with viral hepatitis,” said vice president of Scientific Committee at IGH, Dao Van Long, PhD. “We are confident that with the support of this funding, we can capitalize on digital solutions to increase diagnosis and linkage to care of persons living with HBV and improve health outcomes.”