VHPB Technical meeting: Addressing Viral Hepatitis Among Europe's Migrant and Refugee Population: lessons learnt and the way forward

 

LIST OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY 

  • Provide an overview of the available information concerning viral hepatitis among migrants and refugees in Europe, highlighting areas of concern and the associated public health threat. 
  • Examine efforts aimed at enhancing healthcare access for migrants and refugees, with a particular focus on viral hepatitis prevention, vaccination, screening, diagnosis and treatment. 
  • Evaluate the potential benefits and challenges of implementing guidelines for testing, treatment, and vaccination of migrants across Europe. 
  • Explore potential collaborations among the different stakeholders to enhance viral hepatitis prevention and control efforts among migrants and refugees. 
  • Lessons learnt from project and initiatives focusing on prevention and control of viral hepatitis in migrants 
  • Discuss the relation to the WHO elimination goals outlined in the new WHO Global Health Sector Strategies for 2022-2030. 
  • Discuss achievements, challenges and the way forward.   

Background document (693kb, Pdf)

 

TUESDAY 26 MARCH 2024 – PART 1

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Chairs: Pierre Van Damme & Greet Hendrickx

09:00-09:40 

Welcome by Herman Van Goethem (Rector of the University of Antwerp, Belgium) 

 

Meeting kickoff

  • Opening presentation, incl. introduction VHPB & meeting objectives 
  • Introduction of the participants 

 

 

SESSION 1.1: SETTING THE SCENE – MIGRATION AND VIRAL HEPATITIS IN EUROPE

 

09:40-10:00 

Migration in Europe and access to health services for migrants (ONLINE) (pdf, 0.863Mb)

Jozef Bartovic (WHO Euro)  

 

10:00-10:20 

The Forgotten people: Hepatitis B virus infection as a priority for the inclusion health agenda (pdf, 23.421Mb)

Philippa Matthews (University College London, UK) 

 

10:20-10:30 

Q&A

 

COFFEE BREAK 10:30-11:00

 

SESSION 1.2: HEPATITIS SCREENING AND BURDEN OF DISEASE IN EUROPEAN MIGRANTS

 

Chairs: Sema Mandal & Stéphane Chevaliez

11:00-11:15 

Hepatitis B and C virus infection and screening among migrants in EU/EEA countries. (pdf, 2.305Mb)

Ndeindo Ngrango Ndeikoundam (ECDC) 

 

11:15-11:30 

Point-of-care testing for hepatitis B and C in migrants in diverse community centres. (pdf, 4.33Mb)

Elisa Martró (Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital and Research Institute (IGTP), Spain) 

 

11:30-11:45 

Hepatitis A outbreak in a refugee shelter in Kiel, northern Germany

Anne Marcic (Public Health Department Kiel, Germany) (pdf, 1.187Mb)

Jürgen Wenzel (University Medical Center Regensburg, Germany) (pdf, 2.251Mb)

 

11:45-12:00 

 

Value of community-based viral hepatitis strategies among migrants in Europe (VH-COMSAVAC) (pdf, 1.167Mb)

Melissa D’Agostino (Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy) 

 

12:00-12:15 

 

HEPARJOC: an educational tool to promote early hepatitis screening in migrants in Barcelona (pdf, 11.107Mb)

Jordi Gómez I Prat (University Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Spain)  

 

12:15-12:30 

Developing a well-accepted study design for people born outside Germany – the HepMig Pilot, Germany

Sandra Dudareva (Robert Koch Institute, Germany) 

 

12:30-12:50 

Q&A

 

LUNCH BREAK 12:50-13:50

 

SESSION 1.3: LINKAGE TO CARE, ACCESS TO TREATMENT AND HEALTH INEQUALITIES

 

Chairs: Camila Picchio & Rania Tohme

13:50-14:10

Health inequalities in the management of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in patients from sub-Saharan Africa in high-income countries. (pdf, 1.739Mb)

Geoffrey Dusheiko (King’s College Hospital, UK) 

 

14:10-14:30

Optimisation of linkage to care for hepatitis B/C infected ethnic minorities in Belgium. (pdf, 1.864Mb)

Thomas Vanwolleghem, (UZA/UA, Belgium) 

 

14:30-14:50

A Model to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis Infection in Migrants: A Prospective, Multicenter Study in Southern Italy (ONLINE) (pdf, 3.083Mb)

Mariantoinetta Pisaturo (University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy) 

 

14:50-15:10

Viral hepatitis control in Ukrainian refugees in Poland (pdf, 1.724Mb)

Robert Flisiak (Medical University of Bialystok, Poland) 

 

15:10-15:30

Joint statement EASL, WHO Euro and ECDC: Ensuring high-quality viral hepatitis care for refugees from Ukraine. (pdf, 1.33Mb)

Maria Buti (EASL) 

 

15:30-15:40 

Q&A

 

COFFEE break 15:40-16:10

 

SESSION 1.4: POINT OF VIEW OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING MIGRANT HEALTH

 

Chairs: Thomas Vanwolleghem & Sandra Dudareva

16:10-17:00

Panel discussion

ECDC - Ndeindo Ngrango Ndeikoundam 

WHO HQ – Antons Mozalevskis 

WHO Euro – Marcelo Naveira 

European Coalition for Migrants and Refugees – Suad Mohamed 

Médecins Du Monde – Ernst Wisse 

Doctors Without Borders – Jean-Paul Mangion

IOM – Cristina Profili 

International Centre for Migration, Health and Development (ICMHD) – Manuel Carballo (ONLINE)

 

SESSION 1.5: PREVENTION

 

17:00-17:20

From AcToVax4NAM: General conceptual framework for understanding how to improve vaccination coverage among newly arrived migrants. (pdf, 4.212Mb)

Silvia Declich (ISS, Italy) 

 

17:20-17:40

Trends of acute hepatitis in migrants in Italy and potential impact of vaccinations. (pdf, 1.375Mb)

Maria Elena Tosti (ISS, Italy) 

 

17:40-18:10

Vaccination initiatives highlighted and open floor discussion

18:10

Closing of Day 1

 

DINNER at 19:30

 

 

WEDNESDAY 27 MARCH 2024 – PART 2

 

SESSION 2.1: NATIONAL POLICIES & INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES ADDRESSING MIGRANT HEALTH INEQUALITIES

 

Chairs:  Angela Dominguez & Maria Buti

09:00-09:20

National policies for delivering hepatitis B and C virus infection services for refugees and migrants among member states of the WHO European Region. (pdf, 2.103Mb)

Antons Mozalevskis (WHO HQ) (pdf, 2.103Mb)  & Marcelo Naveira (WHO Euro) (pdf, 0.546Mb)

 

09:20-09:40

RIVER-EU: Reducing inequalities in vaccine uptake in the European Region – Engaging underserved communities. (pdf, 1.06Mb)

Pania Karnaki (Prolepsis Institute, Greece) 

 

09:40-10:00

Integrated services to better address the needs of migrants who use drugs (ONLINE)

Roberto Perez-Gayo (Correlation - European Harm Reduction Network) 

 

10:00-10:20

Potential of the electronic Personal Health Record system for migrants and refugees arriving in Europe (ONLINE) (pdf, 3.064Mb)

Ana Requena Méndez (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) 

 
10:20-10:30

Cancer RADAR - mapping cancer risk by migration background in Europe (pdf, 1.95Mb)

Catharina (Nienke) Alberts (Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands)

10:30-10:40

Q&A

 

COFFEE break 10:40-11:10

 

SESSION 2.2: GOOD PRACTICES AND THEIR POTENTIAL FOR EU WIDE IMPLEMENTATION

 

Chairs: Antons Mozalevskis & Mojca Maticic

11:10-12:10

GROUPS DISCUSSION: Improving care of migrants is key for viral hepatitis elimination in Europe

Discussion in 4 groups on the most important identified barriers and opportunities and how to move forward. 

 

12:10-12:40

Outcome of the groups discussions by group leaders & general discussion

 

LUNCH 12:40-14:10

 

 

SESSION 2.3: MEETING SUMMARY BY DAVID FITZSIMONS

 

Chairs: Marcelo Naveira & Françoise Roudot-Thoraval

14:10-14:40

Meeting summary (pdf, 0.552Mb)

David FitzSimons 

 

14:40-15:00

Closing remarks

 

Mdeon visum: 24/V2/15542/009367

 

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