Dear CEVHAP Members,

Fifteen years ago, the largest gathering of world leaders established for the first time
global targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to address the
worlds most pressing issues by 2015. As you are aware CEVHAP has been critical of
the fact that the MDGs omitted to mention hepatitis which is responsible for three times
as many deaths in Asia Pacific as HIV/AIDS.

Nevertheless, whilst mixed across countries, some progress has been made on the
goals set in 2000: extreme poverty (living on less than $US1.25 a day) has been cut by
more than half since 1990, to 836 million, as has the mortality rate of children under
five. The number of children dying from preventable causes has halved to six million
today. Enrollment in primary education across developing regions has reached 91
percent and is heading towards equality between boys and girls. Maternal mortality
rates have fallen by 45 percent, new HIV infections have fallen by 40 percent and 37
million tuberculosis deaths have been avoided.

After speeches from Pope Francis and the Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, and songs
from Shakira and Angelique Kidjo, the blueprint for the next 25 years of world
development the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aims to tackle
poverty, climate change and inequality for all people in all countries by 2030 was
signed off by 193 countries last weekend.

Our work and that of other partners and stakeholders, particularly WHO and the World
Hepatitis Alliance, to have hepatitis specifically mentioned in the SDGs has come to
fruition in SDG 3.3 which states:

By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical
diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable
diseases.

A summary of the SDGs can be found at:

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics

The UN will now develop indicators that measure the SDGs. These indicators are due to
be available a year from now and will play a key role in shaping national programmes
and policies. We will provide further updates when progress has been made on the
indicators. In the meantime, should you have any questions or views to share about the
SDGs, please kindly contact me.

Best regards,
Jenny

Jennifer Johnston
Executive Director
Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Asia Pacific Ltd Reg. No.: 20102295M
Registered office: 20 Upper Circular Road, #02-10/12, The Riverwalk, Singapore 058416
Postal address: 93 Pickles Street, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207 Australia
Contact numbers: +61 3 434 567 909 / +61 3 9681 7016 Email: jjohnston@cevhap.org
Website: www. cevhap.org