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.

A new ECDC review estimates the prevalence of both hepatitis B and C infection at around 1 percent respectively in the countries of the European Union and European Economic Area. In total, it is estimated that more than 10 million Europeans may have chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C. 

• Full report
• Annual Epidemiological Report 2016 – hepatitis B
• Annual Epidemiological Report 2016 – hepatitis C

Testing week is an initiative of HIV in Europe to help more people to become aware of their HIV status.

Now in its fourth year and the second time hepatitis testing has been included,

European HIV-Hepatitis Testing Week will take place from 18-25 November 2016.

The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) issues Recommendations on Treatment of Hepatitits C 2016:

The recommendations have been prepared by a panel of experts chosen by the EASL Governing Board and were approved by the EASL Governing Board.
They have been based as far as possible on evidence from existing publications and presentations at international meetings, and, if evidence was unavailable, the experts’ personal experiences and opinion.

The WHO e-learning course on vaccine safety basics intends to establish a shared understanding among professionals whose work is linked to vaccine safety issues.
The course addresses the following issues:

• oringin and nature of advers events follwing immunzation; 
• promoting good communication practices in handling risks and crises situations

The course is destined to nurses, midwives, community health workers, as well as pharmacists medical doctors and programme or technical officers.

More information:

At the Sixty-sixth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC66), the 53 Members States of the WHO European Region have unanimously adopted the first ever "Action plan for the health sector response to Viral Hepatitis in the WHO European Region”, and endorsed the resolution EUR/RC66/R10 to adopt the action plan:

• Action plan for the health sector response to Viral Hepatitis in the WHO European Region
• Resolution EUR/RC66/R10

Many Member States and WHO partners have voiced their support through strong statements of support at RC66.

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