Our members
Our members are at the heart of what we do. Our international network of organisations work to support people living with viral hepatitis and are the reason we are able to speak as the global voice of the millions of people affected by viral hepatitis worldwide.
Our Members
Our members lead the fight against hepatitis globally. Our members offer advice and support for people living with viral hepatitis and advocate on behalf of the people and communities impacted by hepatitis.
Become a member
Becoming part of the World Hepatitis Alliance means your organisation is part of a global body with international reach.
Membership is free of charge and by joining our network you will be able to access our resources, participate in regular networking opportunities, join educational webinars and have your voices heard at the international level.
Applying for membership can be done on the website
Types of membership:
There are two types of members – Voting Members and Non-Voting Members. The only difference in terms of benefits of membership is that voting members may vote at annual meetings and may elect the Regional Board Members for their region.
How to become a voting member
All of WHA’s voting members should be driven by people living with or cured of viral hepatitis. The needs and views of people living with viral hepatitis should drive the organisation’s strategy, policies and activities in a significant way. WHA accepts that cultural differences may make this difficult in some parts of the world and will therefore permit some flexibility. To become a voting member, an organisation should fulfil the five criteria below:
- The organisation must be non-profit and non-governmental and must be independent from commercial, political and religious organisations.
- The organisation must have a legal status appropriate to its country of origin, with a written constitution and/or by-laws. If no appropriate legal status exists in the country of origin, this criterion may be waived at the discretion of the board.
- The organisation must have chronic viral hepatitis as its primary area of interest and activity.
- The organisation must demonstrate its commitment to people living with viral hepatitis in its guiding statements, such as its vision, mission or organisational objectives, as well as its activities.
- The organisation must have at least one person living with or cured of hepatitis on its governing board or can demonstrate that it has other governance structures in place which ensures it is driven by people living with or cured of hepatitis.
How to become a non-voting member
If your organisation does not meet the criteria to become a voting member, you made still be eligible to become a non-voting member if it meets the four criteria below:
- The organisation must be non-profit and non-governmental.
- The organisation must have a legal status appropriate to its country of origin, with a written constitution and/or by-laws. If no appropriate legal status exists in the country of origin, these criteria may be waived at the discretion of the board.
- The organisation must have a clear interest in chronic viral hepatitis.
- The organisation must demonstrate commitment to improving healthcare and to the principle of healthcare driven by people living with or cured of hepatitis in its guiding statements, such as its vision, mission or organisational objectives, and its activities
If you are not part of an organisation but would still like to be involved in the fight against hepatitis then please join NOhep, the global movement to eliminate hepatitis.
Member benefits
Being a member of WHA offers an organisation exclusive benefits. As part of the global movement fighting for a world free from viral hepatitis, an organisation’s profile will be elevated to an international level. WHA’s official relations with WHO status boosts an organisation’s credibility and recognition, helping to secure government attention and engage with WHO regional and country offices. members also influence the strategy and leadership of WHA by nominating presidential candidates and regional board members.
Benefits
- Enhanced credibility: Being a member of WHA greatly enhances your organisation’s credibility, particularly among governments and the international community at large. This is due to our Official Relations status with the World Health Organization and our Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. See the influence section below to find out more about how our Official Relations status can help you influence change at a national level.
- International visibility: We take every opportunity to bring international visibility to your work by promoting members’ projects and activities through our various communications platforms including our website, social media channels, e-magazine, World Hepatitis Day Summary Report and many more. We also strive to feature WHA member case studies as much as possible in our programmes, webinars and international media releases.
- Official recognition online: You will be listed on the WHA website and receive your own dedicated page on the site. You will also receive the official WHA Member logo to use on your website.
- Opportunity to shape WHA’s work: You can nominate candidates for both the role of president and regional board member (voting members also elect their regional board members). Board members articulate the interests of patient groups in their region within WHA Board discussions thus integrating their views in WHA’s global strategic direction. Voting members can also vote at the WHA’s Annual General Meetings.
- Official Relations with your WHO Country Office: WHA’s Official Relations status with WHO HQ means that our members are, by definition, in official relations with their respective WHO Country Office. As such, you can develop and implement a programme of collaboration with WHO at a national and regional level to ensure implementation of hepatitis strategies.
- Input into the World Hepatitis Summit: The World Hepatitis Summit is a large-scale, global event to advance the viral hepatitis agenda. It is led by WHA with WHO as a co-sponsor. Members are able to input into the development of WHS and help shape this critical event through a number of different routes.
- Exclusive surveys and input into global reports: Our members have the opportunity to participate and make their voice heard through global reports and surveys, which ultimately inform our advocacy efforts at a global level. Findings are also important tools for advocacy at national level.
- Partnership opportunities: Our experience building a network of civil society organisations, medical societies and healthcare professionals can assist you to form partnerships in your region.
- Pre-Summit Member Conference: The Pre-Summit Member Conference is a one-day members-only event. The programme focuses on key areas of interest identified through needs assessments and member feedback. The conference is open to all members with a limited number of funded places available.
- Exclusive World Hepatitis Day materials: You will receive an exclusive pre-launch preview of the World Hepatitis Day (WHD) campaign. WHA provides campaign materials to support your WHD activities, including posters, infographics, logos, banners and more. A customisable poster tool allows you to tailor the global campaign to suit your local priorities and toolkits are available to assist in campaign planning, organising events and approaching media. You are also able to promote your activities through the WHD website.
- Educational webinars: WHA creates and hosts various webinars aimed at educating and upskilling members in key areas to effectively lobby for change. Topics covered so far include policy, advocacy, awareness raising and access to diagnostics, medicines and generics. You are able to participate live and ask questions to a panel of experts. Recordings and slide decks are subsequently made available on our website.
- In-country programmes: WHA has a diverse portfolio of programmes and is increasingly partnering with members to deliver on the ground projects. These projects are exciting opportunities for collaboration between WHA and our members and previous in-country projects have covered topics such as diagnosis and financing.
- Up-to-date information and resources: You will have access to template campaign material, awareness-raising resources, advocacy and fundraising tools, as well as support and advice from WHA. Our websites offer a wide range of materials and are regularly developed based on the specific needs of our members. We also share the latest news and information about global debates concerning viral hepatitis in the news section of our website and via exclusive member emails.
- Regional workshops and events: You may also gain access to regional educational events organised by WHA or other partners and key stakeholders.