Eliminating the threat of HBV infection requires a comprehensive approach that includes prevention of infections acquired immediately before and after birth and during childhood, as well as during adolescence and adulthood. Norway and the United Kingdom have recently become the latest countries in the WHO European Region to add hepatitis B vaccination to their routine immunization schedules: Norway has offered the vaccine since February 2017 and the United Kingdom will provide a hexavalent vaccine, including hepatitis B, at age 2 months for children born after 1 August 2017. With these two additional countries offering population-wide protection against the virus, the Region is one step closer to its goal of controlling HBV infection, as established in the European Vaccine Action Plan 2015–2020. More info

The members of the Executive Board of the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) have written an open letter to the Cochrane Collaboration in which they raise doubts about the recent Cochrane review of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for the treatment of hepatitis C. The WHA points to the unsound methodology leading to unreliable conclusions. 

EASL, the European Association for the Study of the Liver, one of the leading associations of liver specialists, raises serious concerns after the recent publication of a Cochrane Group systematic review entitled “Direct acting antivirals for chronic hepatitis C” by Jakobsen et al. After reviewing 138 clinical trials, including 25,232 participants.

28 July is World Hepatitis Day. The theme for 2017 is #ShowYourFace to eliminate hepatitis:

To encourage people to feel empowered, personally connected and understand their role in elimination, this year, the ELIMINATE HEPATITIS theme is brought to life through the #ShowYourFace campaign.

In May 2016, the World Health Assembly endorsed the Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) on viral hepatitis 2016–2021. The GHSS calls for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 (reducing new infections by 90% and mortality by 65%.

• Global hepatitis report 2017 full report
• Executive summary
• Infographic

While new direct-acting antivirals introduced are now effective enough to cure more than 90% of hepatitis C cases, it is not known whether there are suitable policies to promote access to treatment in European countries. The Hep-CORE study collected information on viral hepatitis policy issues from patient groups belonging to the European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) and offers insight into this situation.

The World Hepatitis Summit has launched a Call for Submissions inviting individuals, groups and organisations to outline their original contributions (including scientific, social and community research, programmes, products and policies) and how these have, or may have, the potential to contribute to the response to viral hepatitis in their nation, region, or community. Presenting authors of successful submissions will be invited to present their work at the World Hepatitis Summit 2017.

The Vaccine Safety Net (VSN), a network of websites providing quality reliable information about vaccines, was established in 2003. Its members met at WHO headquarters in Geneva on 28 to 29 November 2016. The meeting was the opportunity to strengthen links between Network members, discuss innovations in managing vaccine safety information and digital communication, discuss collaborations and agree on next steps and follow up mechanisms. A portal dedicated to VSN will soon be launched allowing the public to access relevant information and members to work collaboratively from one single platform.

In february 2017, WHO launched its guidelines on hepatitis B and C testing. They are the first WHO guidelines on testing for chronic HBV and HCV infection and complement published guidance by WHO on the prevention, care and treatment of chronic hepatitis C and hepatitis B infection. These guidelines outline the public health approach to strengthening and expanding current testing practices for HBV and HCV, and are intended for use across age groups and populations.

ELPA presents the findings of the 2016 Hep-CORE Report:
Fifty-two per cent (52%) of surveyed European (25) and Mediterranean Basin (2) countries lack national strategies to address viral hepatitis B or C despite the WHO World Health Assembly resolution calling on all countries to have one. Only three of these countries have access to the new, highly effective medicines (direct-acting antivirals) for hepatitis C without restrictions.
These are just two sobering results from the 2016 Hep-CORE Report on the state of viral hepatitis policy and practice in Europe, released by the European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) today.