The elimination of viral hepatitis B and C is amongst the stated goals of the UN and the WHO. However, Europe is yet to make significant progress.
These viruses affect 28 million people in the WHO Europe region, most of whom are living without visible symptoms for decades before disease progressioni. As many as 171,000 deathsii annually in the WHO Europe region are caused by two infections – hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. Experts warn that the number of individuals affected will continue to increase in many countries across Europe over the next 15 yearsiii unless action is taken to prevent, detect, and cure these diseases.
The Goal
Countries must move to prevent infection, improve diagnosis across the spectrum of risk groups and ensure that direct acting antiviral treatment is affordable and accessible. Spending money today to control viral hepatitis will reduce costs later from its complications.iv
What to do
Effective tools exist today. Hepatitis B is preventable through a vaccine, and can be controlled with treatment. Although there is still no vaccine, hepatitis C is now curable with a short course of highly effective and safe medicine. Significant progress towards eliminating both diseases as public health threats in European countries is possible, provided decisive action is taken to expand surveillance, prevention, testing, treatment and care.
About ACHIEVE
The members of the ACHIEVE (Associations Collaborating on Hepatitis to Immunise and Eliminate the Viruses in Europe) coalition, representing patients and community, clinicians and researchers, have therefore decided to collaborate to advance the fight against these diseases in line with the WHO Global Health Sector Strategy, the WHO Europe Action Plan and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.v The ACHIEVE coalition includes the following organisations: The European Liver Patients’ Association (ELPA), the Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board, Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association, European Aids Treatment Group (EATG), Correlation Network, the World Hepatitis Alliance and the Barcelona Institue for Global Health (ISGlobal).
‘The ACHIEVE coalition is enabled by the support of Abbott, AbbVie, Cepheid and Gilead Sciences’.
Hope V.D., Eramova I. Capurro D. et al. Prevalence and estimation of hepatitis B and C infections in the WHO European Region: a review of data focusing on the countries outside the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, Epidemiol. Infect (2013)
WHO Europe Action Plan
Hope V.D., Eramova I. Capurro D. et al. Prevalence and estimation of hepatitis B and C infections in the WHO European Region: a review of data focusing on the countries outside the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, Epidemiol. Infect (2013)
Razavi H., Waked I., Sarrazin C.. The present and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus with today’s treatment paradigm, Journal of Viral Hepatitis, 21 (Suppl. 1) (2014), pp. 34–59
Razavi H., Waked I., Sarrazin C.. The present and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus with today’s treatment paradigm, Journal of Viral Hepatitis, 21 (Suppl. 1) (2014), pp. 34–59
In line with UN Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Goal 3: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”, the EU Member States along with other countries of the WHO European Region have committed themselves to eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. A resolution supporting the Regional Action plan on viral hepatitis was adopted in September 2016.