In their joint public health Guidance published today, ECDC and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), present the evidence on active case finding as a key measure to diagnose communicable diseases early.

ECDC and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) have systematically retrieved and assessed evidence on active case findings for blood-borne viruses like HIV, hepatitis B and C, sexually transmitted infections as well as tuberculosis in prison settings in the EU/EEA.

An estimated 4.7 million Europeans are living with chronic hepatitis B and almost 4 million (3.9) with chronic hepatitis C infection. However, large numbers of them are not even aware of their infection as they have not yet been tested and diagnosed.

Hepatitis and other drug-related infectious diseases will be the focus of ‘Hepatitis week’, taking place at the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) in Lisbon from 12–16 June 2017. The initiative will bring together some 100 specialists from: EU Member States, candidate and potential candidate countries to the EU, as well as partner agencies, civil society and professional organisations.

The survey results suggest a wide variation in existing national testing policy and practice when it comes to hepatitis B and C – with overall limited monitoring of testing, diagnosis, and treatment across EU/EEA Member States. Many respondents expressed a need for Europe-wide practical guidance on how testing initiatives should be conducted, evaluated, and monitored.

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.

​This first European Action Plan provides an important driver to aid countries in their fight against viral hepatitis, to which ECDC had the opportunity to contribute directly.

​One of the main challenges in the control of hepatitis B and C is identifying those who do not even know they are infected. Only then can they benefit from the appropriate antiviral treatment and the risk of further spread can be reduced. In many countries of the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA), migrants are known to be one of the key populations at higher risk of infection with hepatitis B and C. A new ECDC study shows that hepatitis-specific prevention and care programmes need to target such key groups at risk of infection.