The Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board (VHPB) is pleased to highlight its involvement in the newly launched EU-funded project HEP-HOP (Health Equity Programme: Hepatitis Outreach for Migrant Populations), a major initiative aimed at reducing health inequalities in viral hepatitis across Europe.
Funded under the EU4Health Programme, HEP-HOP brings together leading European partners, including the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), the University of Antwerp, Rīga Stradiņš University, and the University of Barcelona. The project will run from October 2025 to September 2028 and is implemented in Belgium, Latvia, and Spain.
Addressing a critical public health gap
Migrant and refugee populations in Europe continue to face disproportionate burdens of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV), often combined with limited access to prevention, screening, and care services. These challenges contribute to delayed diagnoses and poorer health outcomes.
HEP-HOP aims to tackle these inequalities by developing and scaling up community-based, culturally sensitive interventions that improve early detection, vaccination uptake, and linkage to care.
Key objectives of HEP-HOP
The project focuses on six main areas:
- Expanding access to community-based screening and HBV vaccination programmes
- Strengthening linkage to care for people diagnosed with viral hepatitis
- Addressing vaccine hesitancy and misinformation in migrant communities
- Building capacity by training community health workers and non-health actors
- Evaluating the impact of interventions and identifying best practices
- Supporting knowledge transfer and policy uptake across Europe
A strong emphasis is placed on improving health literacy and countering misinformation, which are key barriers to vaccination uptake in vulnerable populations.
Contributing to hepatitis elimination in Europe
By combining community-based outreach, capacity building, and evidence generation, HEP-HOP contributes directly to Europe’s efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.
Importantly, the project also aligns with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan by addressing viral hepatitis as a major cause of liver cancer and by prioritising prevention in underserved populations.
For more information about the project, visit:
https://www.isglobal.org/en/-/health-equity-programme-hepatitis-outreach-for-migrant-populations