The 3rd International Meeting on Elimination of Viral Hepatitis 2016 will be held from 2 - 3 December 2016 at the West Indisch Huis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The field of viral hepatitis treatment is undergoing major changes and is on the verge of a paradigm shift. The introduction of Direct Acting Antivirals are providing great hopes for:

• decreasing the burden of disease,
• simplifying treatment and, ultimately,
• the elimination of viral Hepatitis.

On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, ECDC launches 2014 surveillance data on hepatitis B and C in Europe.

The data show a greater disease burden for hepatitis C compared with hepatitis B across Europe: numbers and notification rates for HCV are nearly twice as high as those of hepatitis B.

New ECDC technical outputs:

• Annual epidemiological report: Surveillance data on Hepatitis B 
• Annual epidemiological report: Surveillance data on hepatitis C
• Epidemiological assessment of Hepatitis B and C among migrants

ELPA Launches Hep-CORE Study in Advance of World Hepatitis Day:

Preliminary data from patient groups raise concerns about responses to HBV and HCV in Europe

European Hepatitis Awareness week - 25-29 July 2016

The Hepatits B and C Public Policy Association launches the first European Hepatitis Awareness week:

• #euhepweek
• Follow and share info on facebook
• Read and sign the Elimination Manifesto.
• Support the Nohep campaign on World Hepatitis Day via Thunderclap.

NOhep, a global movement to eliminate viral hepatitis, will be launched on WHD2016 to bring people together and provide a platform for people to speak out, be engaged and take action to ensure global commitments are met and viral hepatitis is eliminated by 2030.

28 July is World Hepatitis Day. The theme for 2016 is ELIMINATION:

• Events take place across the world to celebrate World Hepatitis Day - find out what is happening near you on the map of impact;
• Campaign materials can be downloaded here.

The Hepatitis Birth Dose Guide developed by the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) of the WHO’s Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals has been published.

The guide includes:

• an overview of WHO recommendations, best practices, technical justification and strategic approaches relating to providing hepatitis B birth dose to newborns;
• operational requirements for introducing a vaccination that should be delivered as soon after birth as possible, preferably within 24 hours (and explicitly mentions false contraindications);
• information for policy discussions and operational strategies for the introduction of hepatitis B birth dose vaccination into a national immunization programme.

On 28 May 2016, representatives from the WHO Member States convening the Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly unanimously endorsed the Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) on viral hepatitis for 2016–2021.

Aim of the strategy: spur countries to action in order to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

More info

The updated WHO Guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations
for the treatment of persons with hepatitis C infection
using, where possible, all-oral combinations of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).

Download the:

• guidelines
• policy brief

In the United States, May is Hepetatis Awareness Month.
The 19th of May is Hepatitis Testing Day.

For more info:

• CDC hepatitis website
• follow on twitter