The Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference is the leading Asia and the Pacific Region meeting addressing research and treatment around viral hepatitis.   The conference is held biennially and was first held in Sydney in 1997 and then subsequently in Christchurch (NZ) in 1999, Melbourne in 2002, Canberra in 2004 (back-to-back with the ASHM Conference), Sydney in 2006 and in Brisbane in 2008 (back-to back with the Australian Gastroenterology Week).   The Conference currently attracts around 450 delegates from the viral hepatitis sector including clinicians, prescribers, health care workers, researchers, community representatives, basic scientists, policy makers and others.