Surveillance and prevention of hepatitis B and C in Europe

This report on hepatitis B and C presents the results of a survey in all EU/EEA countries. Twenty-two of the surveyed countries have already implemented universal vaccination programmes on hepatitis B for infants and adolescents, and half of the surveyed countries conduct screening programmes for hepatitis C, primarily for injecting drug users and prison inmates. Data on HBV and HCV screening policies, both for the general population and high-risk groups, remain sparse.
The reports caution that predicting disease trends for viral hepatitis is extremely difficult as disease surveillance systems in Europe differ considerably. In addition, the asymptomatic nature of hepatitis C further complicates data interpretation.