Meetings

Elimination of Viral Hepatitis in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia: Lessons Learnt and the Way Forward (29-30 October 2024, Prague, Czech Republic)

VHPB Regional meeting: Elimination of Viral Hepatitis in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia: Lessons Learnt and the Way Forward

LIST OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY 

  • Provide an overview of the current viral hepatitis situation in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia: surveillance systems, epidemiology, screening, burden of disease, prevention, treatment and the cascade of care
  • Discuss achievements and challenges in the prevention and control of viral hepatitis, the possible implementation of new prevention strategies, control measures and monitoring systems in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia
  • Discuss the development and the implementation of national hepatitis plans
  • Assess the needs to achieve the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030 as set out in the renewed WHO Global Strategy and WHO Europe Action Plan, building on the UN Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDG) commitments
  • Discuss successes, issues and barriers to overcome and the way forward

TUESDAY 29 OCTOBER 2024 – PART 1

INTRODUCTION

Session 1: Opening and objectives  of the meeting   
Chairs:
09:00 – 09:30Welcome and opening of the meeting Introduction of the participants Introduction of the VHPB Objectives of the meeting Review of the meeting programme  
Session 2:  Introduction in the healthcare system of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia (focus on viral hepatitis)
09:30 – 09:45Czech Republic Roman Prymula Charles University Prague, Czech Republic  
09:45 – 10:00    Hungary Béla Hunyady University of Pécs, Hungary  
10:00 – 10:15Poland Magdalena Rosińska  National Institute of Public Health, National Research Institute, Poland  
10:15 – 10:30Slovakia Brigita Benkőová Slovak Medical University, Slovakia  
10:30 – 10:40Q&A
10:40 – 11:10  Coffee Break
Session 3: Overview of hepatitis surveillance and epidemiology in the region
Chairs:
11:10 – 11:25Overview of Hepatitis surveillance and Epidemiology in Europe: Hepatitis B and C in EU/EEA countries and overview for the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia Danica Valkovičová Staneková ECDC, OCP Slovakia; St. Elizabeth University of Health and Social Work, Bratislava  
11:25 – 11:40Epidemiology of viral hepatitis among blood donors in Hungary Sándor Nagy Hungarian National Blood Transfusion Service, Hungarian National Hepatitis Committee  
11:40 – 12:00Q&A and Open floor discussion on available data, gaps, needs and opportunities for surveillance in the region.
12:00 – 13:00Lunch Break
Session 4: Screening practices in Central European healthcare, including how to reach special populations
Chairs: 
13:00 – 13:15      HCV screening practices Country example – Poland Robert Flisiak Medical University of Bialystok, Poland  
13:15 – 14:00Panel debate: how is HCV screening organised in the region, including how to reach special populations Panel: Robert Flisiak (Poland) Viktor Aster (Czech Republic) Sándor Nagy (Hungary) Marek Rác (Slovakia, TBC)  
14:00  – 14:15HBV/HDV screening practices Country example – Hungary Mihály Makara National Institute of Hematology and Infectology, Hungary  
14:15 – 15:00Panel debate: how is HBV/HDV screening organised in the region, including how to reach special populations Panel: Mihály Makara (Hungary) Soňa Fraňková (Czech Republic) Jerzy Jaroszewicz (Poland) Pavol Kristian (Slovakia)  
Session 5: Treatment policies and linkage to care
15:00 – 15:15Treatment policies, including how to reach special populations and compliance to therapy in the Czech Republic Soňa Fraňková Department of Hepatogastroenterology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Czech Republic  
15:15 – 15-30Treatment policies and linkage to care in Hungary Béla Hunyady University of Pécs, Hungary  
15:30 – 15:45Viral hepatitis treatment policies in Poland Krzysztof Tomasiewicz Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland  
15:45 – 16:00How linkage to care is organised in Slovakia (TBC)  
16:00 – 16:15The role of patient organisations in hepatitis elimination – local Slovakian example and international / global insights Helena Glasova Slovak Medical University, Slovakia  
16:15 – 16:30Q&A
16:30 – 17:00Coffee Break
Session 6: Prevention of viral hepatitis
Chairs:
17:00 – 17:15Strategies for HAV and HBV vaccination in the Czech Republic Roman Prymula Charles University Prague, Czech Republic  
17:15 – 17:30Decreasing HBV vaccination coverage in Newborns in Poland Aneta Nitsch-Osuch Warsaw Medical University, Poland  
17:30 – 17:45Vaccine confidence and its potential impact on vaccine coverage  (TBC)  
17:45 – 18:00Q&A
19:30DINNER

DINNER at 19:30

WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER – PART 2

Session 7:  National plans, good practices/successful programs, challenges and the way forward
Chairs:
09:00 – 09:15Czech Republic Petr Jr Husa University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic  
09:15 – 09:30Hungary Mihály Makara National Institute of Hematology and Infectology, Hungary  
09:30 – 09:45Poland Tatiana Makarevich WHO, Poland  
09:45 – 10:00Slovakia Pavol Kristian Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Slovakia  
10:00 – 10:20Feasibility of achieving the WHO 2030 target for HCV infections in Poland Dorota Zarębska-Michaluk Department of Infectious Diseases, Jan Kochanowski University, Poland.  
10:20 – 10:30Q&A
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break
Session 8: Groups discussion
Chairs:
11:00 – 12:00Groups Discussion – break out groups What are the needs to Eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030?  
12:00 -12:30Presentation outcomes of the groups sessions  
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch Break
Session 9:  Conclusion of the meeting
Chairs:
14:00-14:40Conclusion of the meeting David FitzSimons VHPB scientific writer  
14:40 – 15:00Final remarks & closing of the meeting
Back to meetings