Meeting objectives:
- provide an overview of the current viral hepatitis situation in the countries: surveillance systems, epidemiology, screening, burden, 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 system in the countries
- discuss the development and the implementation of a 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.
Background document (1.446 kB, pdf)
Thursday 27 October 2022
| Session 1: Opening and objectives | |
| Chairs: Greet Hendrickx & Milan Mishkovikj | |
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Welcome and opening of the meetingIntroduction of the participantsIntroduction of the VHPBObjectives of the meetingReview of the meeting programme Welcome by Dr. Bekim SaliMinister of Health |
| Session 2: The health care system in The Balkan countries | |
| Chairs: Daniel Lavanchy & Angela Dominguez | |
| 09:00 – 10:30 | Introduction in the health care system and infectious disease service of the different countries (focused on viral hepatitis)(following a VHPB slide template, 10 minutes/country)Albania – Silvia BinoBosnia-Herzegovina – Vesna Lucic-Samardzija / Azra Husic-Selimovic (pre-recorded)Bulgaria – Ani KevorkyanKosovo – Valbon KrasniqiMontenegro – Aleksandra MarjanovicNorth Macedonia – Marija DimzovaSerbia – Violeta Rakic / Tomislav PrevedenCroatia – Adriana Vince / Tatjana Nemeth BlažićSlovenia – Mojca Maticic |
| 10:30 – 10:50 | Q&A |
| 10:50-11:10 | Coffee Break |
| Session 3: Current viral hepatitis situation | |
| Chairs: Marko Korenjak & Françoise Roudot-Thoraval | |
| 11:10 – 12:50 | Current situation: Epidemiological Hepatitis situation, burden of disease; How screening and prevention/vaccination are organised & Cascade of care(following a VHPB slide template, 20 minutes/country)Albania – Elona KuretaBosnia-Herzegovina – Vesna Lucic-Samardzija / Azra Husic-Selimovic (pre-recorded)Bulgaria – Ani KevorkyanKosovo – Teuta JusufiMontenegro – Alma Cicic |
| 12:50-13:50 | Lunch Break |
| Chairs: Mira Kojouharova & Daniel Shouval | |
| 13:50-15:10 | Continued – Current situation: Epidemiological Hepatitis situation, burden of disease; How screening and prevention/vaccination are organised & Cascade of careNorth Macedonia – Marija DimzovaSerbia – Violeta Rakic / Tomislav PrevedenCroatia – Adriana Vince / Tatjana Nemeth BlažićSlovenia – Mojca Maticic |
| 15:10-15:40 | Overview of Hepatitis surveillance and Epidemiology in Europe: Hepatitis B and C in EU/EEA countries and overview for Balkan countries Erika Duffell, ECDCMarcelo Naveira, WHO |
| 15:40-16:00 | Coffee Break |
| Session 4: Literature session | |
| Chairs: Silvia Bino | |
| 16:00 – 16:40 | Role of the patient organisations in the Balkan region.Milan Mishkovikj (Hepar Centar Bitola)Marko Korenjak (ELPA) |
| 16:40-17:20 | Hepatitis B & C management policies in European and Balkan countriesHakan Leblebicioglu |
| 17:20 – 17:40 | Q&A |
Friday 28 October 2022
| Session 5: Elimination of viral hepatitis in Balkan region – Lessons learnt, best practices and future challenges | |
| Chairs: Mojca Maticic & Thomas Vanwolleghem | |
| 8:30-8:50 | Welcome by Dr. Ana Daneva MarkovaHealth Advisor of the Prime Minister WHO Global Strategy and the European action plan for viral hepatitis elimination, including WHO/Europe good practicesNicole Seguy – WHO Regional Office for Europe |
| 8:50-9:00 | Q&A |
| 9:00-11:15 | Presentations of best practices and issues to achieve the elimination goals(15 minutes/country)Albania – Elona KuretaBosnia-Herzegovina – Vesna Lucic-Samardzija / Azra Husic-Selimovic (pre-recorded)Bulgaria – Ani KevorkyanKosovo – Xhevat JakupiMontenegro – Aleksandra MarjanovicNorth Macedonia – Todorovska Beti / Kalina StardelovaSerbia – Violeta Rakic / Tomislav PrevedenCroatia – Adriana Vince / Tatjana Nemeth BlažićSlovenia – Mojca Maticic |
| 11:15-11:30 | Q&A |
| 11:30-11:50 | Coffee Break |
| Session 6: Groups discussion – What are the needs to Eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030 | |
| Chairs: Tatjana Reic | |
| 11:50-13:10 | Group 1 – Epidemiological surveillance, screening, monitoring and analysis of the effectiveness of prevention and treatment programs, informing the public (Sandra Dudareva)Group 2 -Prevention of viral hepatitis: improvement of vaccine prevention programs, prevention in high-risk groups, prevention in health care settings (Marcelo Naveira)Group 3 – Treatment of viral hepatitis: recommendations based on epidemiology and disease burden data, increasing access to treatment, coverage of the most affected groups (Senad Handanagic) |
| 13:10-13:30 | Presentation outcome of the groups sessions |
| 13:30-14:30 | Lunch Break |
| Session 7: Conclusion of the meeting | |
| Chairs: Marko Korenjak & Silvia Bino | |
| 14:30-15:15 | Conclusion of the meeting, final discussion & closing of the meetingDavid FitzSimons |
Meeting report (387 kB, Pdf) by David FitzSimons.