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)

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: Pierre Van Damme & Soňa Fraňková
09:00 – 09:30	Welcome 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 – 09:45	Czech Republic Roman Prymula Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
09:45 – 10:00	Hungary Béla Hunyady University of Pécs, Hungary
10:00 – 10:15	Poland Magdalena Rosińska National Institute of Public Health, National Research Institute, Poland
10:15 – 10:30	Slovakia Brigita Benkőová Slovak Medical University, Slovakia
10:30 – 10:40	Q&A
10:40 – 11:10	Coffee Break

Session 3: Overview of hepatitis surveillance and epidemiology in the region
*Chairs: Sharon Hutchinson & Béla Hunyady*
11:10 – 11:25	An overview of the hepatitis epidemiological status in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia Danica Valkovičová Staneková ECDC, OCP Slovakia; St. Elizabeth University of Health and Social Work, Bratislava
11:25 – 11:40	Epidemiology of viral hepatitis among blood donors in Hungary Sándor Nagy Hungarian National Blood Transfusion Service, Hungarian National Hepatitis Committee
11:40 – 12:00	Q&A and Open floor discussion on available data, gaps, needs and opportunities for surveillance in the region.

Session 4: Screening practices in Central European healthcare, including how to reach special populations

Chairs: Thomas Van Wolleghem & Robert Flisiak

12:00 – 12:15	HCV screening practices Country example – Poland Robert Flisiak Medical University of Bialystok, Poland
12:15 – 13:00	Panel 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), Jana Kerlik (Slovakia)
13:00 – 14:00	Lunch break
14:00 – 14:15	HBV/HDV screening practices Country example – Hungary Mihály Makara National Institute of Hematology and Infectology, Hungary
14:15 – 15:00	Panel 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

Chairs: Rui Tato Marinho & Krzysztof Tomasiewicz

15:00 – 15:15	Treatment 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 – 15-30	Treatment policies and linkage to care in Hungary Béla Hunyady University of Pécs, Hungary
15:30 – 15:45	Viral hepatitis treatment policies in Poland Krzysztof Tomasiewicz Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
15:45 – 16:00	How linkage to care is organised in Slovakia (ONLINE) Róbert Babeľa Slovak Medical University, Slovakia
16:00 – 16:15	The role of patient organisations in hepatitis elimination – local Slovakian example and international / global insights Helena Glasova Slovak Medical University, Slovakia
16:15 – 16:30	Q&A
16:30 – 17:00	Coffee Break

Session 6: Prevention of viral hepatitis
*Chairs: Sandra Dudareva & Roman Prymula*
17:00 – 17:15	Strategies for HAV and HBV vaccination in the Czech Republic Roman Prymula Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
17:15 – 17:30	Decreasing HBV vaccination coverage in Newborns in Poland Aneta Nitsch-Osuch Warsaw Medical University, Poland
17:30 – 17:45	Vaccine confidence and its potential impact on vaccine coverage (ONLINE) Katarzyna Tkaczyszyn Wroclaw Medical University, Poland
17:45 – 18:00	Q&A

19:30

DINNER

WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER – PART 2

Session 7: National plans, good practices/successful programs, challenges and the way forward
*Chairs: Rania Tohme & Danica Valkovičová Staneková*
09:00 – 09:15	Czech Republic Petr Jr Husa University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic
09:15 – 09:30	Hungary Mihály Makara National Institute of Hematology and Infectology, Hungary
09:30 – 09:45	Poland Tatiana Makarevich WHO, Poland
09:45 – 10:00	Slovakia Pavol Kristian Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Slovakia
10:00 – 10:20	Feasibility of achieving the WHO 2030 target for HCV infections in Poland Dorota Zarębska-Michaluk Department of Infectious Diseases, Jan Kochanowski University, Poland.
10:20 – 10:30	Q&A
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee Break

Session 8: Groups discussion
*Chairs: Sema Mandal & Mojca Matičič*
11:00 – 12:00	Groups Discussion – break out groups What are the needs to Eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030?
12:00 -12:30	Presentation outcomes of the groups sessions
12:30 – 14:00	Lunch Break

Session 9: Conclusion of the meeting
Chairs:
14:00-14:40	Conclusion of the meeting David FitzSimons VHPB scientific writer
14:40 – 15:00	Final remarks & closing of the meeting