The state of hepatitis B and C in Europe: report from the hepatitis B and C summit conference

[Guest guest]

J Viral Hepat. 2011 Sep;18 Suppl 1:1-16. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2893.2011.01499.x.

The state of hepatitis B and C in Europe: report from the hepatitis B and C

summit conference*.

Hatzakis A, Wait S, Bruix J, Buti M, Carballo M, Cavaleri M, Colombo M,

Delarocque-Astagneau E, Dusheiko G, Esmat G, Esteban R, Goldberg D, Gore C, Lok

AS, Manns M, Marcellin P, Papatheodoridis G, le A, Prati D, Piorkowsky N,

Rizzetto M, Roudot-Thoraval F, Soriano V, HC, Thursz M, Valla D, van

Damme P, Veldhuijzen IK, Wedemeyer H, Wiessing L, Zanetti AR, Janssen HL.

Source

Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Athens University

Medical School, Athens, Greece. ahatzak@...

Abstract

Worldwide, the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) cause,

respectively, 600,000 and 350,000 deaths each year. Viral hepatitis is the

leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer, which in turn ranks as the third

cause of cancer death worldwide. Within the WHO European region, approximately

14 million people are chronically infected with HBV, and nine million people are

chronically infected with HCV. Lack of reliable epidemiological data on HBV and

HCV is one of the biggest hurdles to advancing policy. Risk groups such as

migrants and injecting drug users (IDU) tend to be under-represented in existing

prevalence studies; thus, targeted surveillance is urgently needed to correctly

estimate the burden of HBV and HCV. The most effective means of prevention

against HBV is vaccination, and most European Union (EU) countries have

universal vaccination programmes. For both HBV and HCV, screening of individuals

who present a high risk of contracting the virus is critical given the

asymptomatic, and thereby silent, nature of disease. Screening of migrants and

IDUs has been shown to be effective and potentially cost-effective. There have

been significant advances in the treatment of HCV and HBV in recent years, but

health care professionals remain poorly aware of treatment options. Greater

professional training is needed on the management of hepatitis including the

treatment of liver cancer to encourage adherence to guidelines and offer

patients the best possible outcomes. Viral hepatitis knows no borders. EU Member

States, guided by the EU, need to work in a concerted manner to implement

lasting, effective policies and programmes and make tackling viral hepatitis a

public health priority.

© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

PMID: 21824223 [PubMed - in process]

[Guest guest]

J Viral Hepat. 2011 Sep;18 Suppl 1:1-16. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2893.2011.01499.x.

The state of hepatitis B and C in Europe: report from the hepatitis B and C

summit conference*.

Hatzakis A, Wait S, Bruix J, Buti M, Carballo M, Cavaleri M, Colombo M,

Delarocque-Astagneau E, Dusheiko G, Esmat G, Esteban R, Goldberg D, Gore C, Lok

AS, Manns M, Marcellin P, Papatheodoridis G, le A, Prati D, Piorkowsky N,

Rizzetto M, Roudot-Thoraval F, Soriano V, HC, Thursz M, Valla D, van

Damme P, Veldhuijzen IK, Wedemeyer H, Wiessing L, Zanetti AR, Janssen HL.

Source

Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Athens University

Medical School, Athens, Greece. ahatzak@...

Abstract

Worldwide, the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) cause,

respectively, 600,000 and 350,000 deaths each year. Viral hepatitis is the

leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer, which in turn ranks as the third

cause of cancer death worldwide. Within the WHO European region, approximately

14 million people are chronically infected with HBV, and nine million people are

chronically infected with HCV. Lack of reliable epidemiological data on HBV and

HCV is one of the biggest hurdles to advancing policy. Risk groups such as

migrants and injecting drug users (IDU) tend to be under-represented in existing

prevalence studies; thus, targeted surveillance is urgently needed to correctly

estimate the burden of HBV and HCV. The most effective means of prevention

against HBV is vaccination, and most European Union (EU) countries have

universal vaccination programmes. For both HBV and HCV, screening of individuals

who present a high risk of contracting the virus is critical given the

asymptomatic, and thereby silent, nature of disease. Screening of migrants and

IDUs has been shown to be effective and potentially cost-effective. There have

been significant advances in the treatment of HCV and HBV in recent years, but

health care professionals remain poorly aware of treatment options. Greater

professional training is needed on the management of hepatitis including the

treatment of liver cancer to encourage adherence to guidelines and offer

patients the best possible outcomes. Viral hepatitis knows no borders. EU Member

States, guided by the EU, need to work in a concerted manner to implement

lasting, effective policies and programmes and make tackling viral hepatitis a

public health priority.

© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

PMID: 21824223 [PubMed - in process]