Hepatitis continues to circulate actively on European soil. Almost 9 million people are living with the virus. And many ignore it.
Europe is lagging behind in the fight against viral hepatitis. The latest report from the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) shows this. In 2015, 60,000 new hepatitis B or C infections were reported in the Union. And for 10 years, the disease has continued to progress.
On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, July 28, health institutions are recalling the objective: the elimination of these viral infections by 2030. But the road seems very badly started on the Old Continent. In addition to the lack of data on people unaware of their HIV status, too many countries do not have a detection strategy in place.
Track more
In total, almost 9 million people live with chronic viral hepatitis – type B or C – on European soil. For each form, this represents 1% of the population. But these estimates will likely have to be revised upwards, warns the ECDC. Indeed, less than half of EU member states can provide an estimate of the number of their citizens infected with viral hepatitis without knowing it.
However, screening is the sinews of war. Without it, there is no effective treatment or prevention. And that goes for all countries. “The momentum of national action against hepatitis is strengthening,” recognizes Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, WHO director of the HIV / AIDS department. But no more than one in ten people who carry the virus know they are infected and can access treatment. “
As long as transmission continues by people unaware of their HIV status, the fight will be in vain. Detection must therefore be stepped up and target people at risk. Because it is easy to miss a transmission of the virus: most of the time, no symptoms appear. The chronic forms, however, promote cirrhosis and liver cancer.
End the transmission
In 2015, more than a million people worldwide died from chronic hepatitis. This is unacceptable when we know that treatments are available. The World Health Organization even added, for the first time, a generic of sofosbuvir to its list of prequalified drugs. This molecule makes it possible to cure hepatitis C in 12 weeks.
In the eyes of the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, there is no doubt: the EU must take charge of the situation, and end the chain of transmission. “To end the underlying causes of the hepatitis epidemic, we need to take a combined approach that includes health and social tools, and develop links between health, social, and educational strategies,” says Vytenis Andriukaitis.
Indeed, the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a threat to public health is set for 2030. Achieving this will require intensive efforts on the part of EU member countries. Because at present, “less than half (…) have implemented a hepatitis screening strategy”, underlines Andrea Ammon, director of the ECDC. Vaccination must also develop. In France, vaccination against hepatitis C is recommended. But that against hepatitis B is done on a case-by-case basis.
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