World Hepatitis Day 2019
Latest trends in Europe
European surveillance data show on-going transmission of hepatitis B and, despite a recent slight decline, high annual levels of hepatitis C diagnoses. As hepatitis infection often shows no symptoms, a large number of people have chronic hepatitis without being aware of the infection.
Guidelines for testing
Targeted testing to reach those most at-risk of infection is an essential element of any strategy to eliminate viral hepatitis across the countries in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA). ECDC’s Guidance on integrated viral hepatitis and HIV testing provides options and ideas based on the latest scientific evidence for national or local hepatitis B, C and HIV testing guidelines and programmes.
Sustainable Development Goals
Success in increasing the testing uptake should contribute considerably to the elimination of HIV and to combat viral hepatitis as public health threat by 2030 as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals. Early diagnosis and linkage to care bring strong individual and public health benefits: effective HIV or viral hepatitis treatment either eliminates or suppresses the viruses significantly which in turn means that those on treatment interrupt existing transmission chains, preventing further infections.
Latest news & reports
Targeted testing is an essential element of any strategy to eliminate viral hepatitis across the countries in the European Union and European Economic Area. Some preliminary monitoring results on the response to hepatitis B and C presented around World Hepatitis Day show that diagnosing chronic infections is still a challenge in the EU/EEA.
In September 2014, ECDC performed a rapid consultation among the 31 EU/EEA countries to mainly collect information on HAV genotyping practices through the National Focal Points for food- and waterborne diseases and zoonoses.
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