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Viral Hepatitis Elimination Program
Smile Coast of Africa (VHEP-SMILE)
A regional initiative supporting West African countries to translate hepatitis B policy into practice.
About VHEP-Smile
VHEP-SMILE, led by Dr. Robert Gish, is a regional coordination and technical support initiative working with Ministries of Health and partners across West Africa to strengthen hepatitis B prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. The program focuses on guideline implementation, access to affordable care, and system readiness for elimination.
VHEP-SMILE supports countries in operationalizing WHO-recommended hepatitis B strategies by aligning policy, clinical practice, and access pathways. The program serves as a neutral coordination platform, facilitating technical assistance, partnerships, and regional learning.
Regional coordination and country engagement
Policy-to-implementation support
Partner and donor alignment
Focus on sustainability and scale
Countries Engaged
- Benin
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Ghana
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guinea Conakry
- Liberia
- Mauritania
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- The Gambia
- Togo
What We Do
Policy & Guidelines
Supporting national hepatitis B guideline development and implementation.
Access to Medicines & Diagnostics
Facilitating affordable access pathways for treatment and diagnostics scale-up.
Capacity Building & Technical Exchange
Regional webinars, expert engagement, and country-to-country learning.
Regional Coordination
Aligning governments, partners, and donors to accelerate elimination progress.
Leadership
Dr. Robert Gish
Global Hepatitis Expert
Program Coordination
VHEP-SMILE is supported by a regional project management and coordination team ensuring continuity, follow-up, and partner engagement.
Partners & Collaborators
VHEP-SMILE works in collaboration with clinical leaders, governments and international partners, including:
Ministries of Health
Hepatitis B Foundation
Academic and technical partners
Access and implementation partners
Partner Organizations
Resources & Updates
Get in Touch
For partnership and collaboration, contact Africa@robertgish.com or send us a message through the form below.
