12 research outputs found
Securing wider EU commitment to the elimination of hepatitis C virus
In 2016, the Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association (HepBCPPA), gathered all the main stakeholders in the field of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to launch the now landmark HCV Elimination Manifesto, calling for the elimination of HCV in the EU by 2030. Since then, many European countries have made progress towards HCV elimination. Multiple programmes—from the municipality level to the EU level—were launched, resulting in an overall decrease in viremic HCV infections and liver-related mortality. However, as of 2021, most countries are not on track to reach the 2030 HCV elimination targets set by the WHO. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a decrease in HCV diagnoses and fewer direct-acting antiviral treatment initiations in 2020. Diagnostic and therapeutic tools to easily diagnose and treat chronic HCV infection are now well established. Treating all patients with chronic HCV infection is more cost-saving than treating and caring for patients with liver-related complications, decompensated cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. It is more important than ever to reinforce and scale-up action towards HCV elimination. Yet, efforts urgently need the dedicated commitment of policymakers at all governmental and policy levels. Therefore, the third EU Policy Summit, held in March 2021, featured EU parliamentarians and other key decision makers to promote dialogue and take strides towards securing wider EU commitment to advance and achieve HCV elimination by 2030. We have summarized the key action points and reported the ‘Call-to-Action’ statement supported by all the major relevant European associations in the field.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Securing wider EU commitment to the elimination of hepatitis C virus
In 2016, the Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association (HepBCPPA), gathered all the main stakeholders in the field of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to launch the now landmark HCV Elimination Manifesto, calling for the elimination of HCV in the EU by 2030. Since then, many European countries have made progress towards HCV elimination. Multiple programs - from the municipality level to the EU level - were launched, resulting in an overall decrease of viremic HCV infections and liver-related mortality. However, as of 2021, most countries are not on track to reach the 2030 HCV elimination targets set by the WHO. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a decrease in HCV diagnoses and fewer direct acting antiviral treatment initiations in 2020. Diagnostic and therapeutic tools to easily diagnose and treat chronic HCV infection are now well established. Treating all patients with chronic HCV infection is more cost-saving than treating and caring for patients with liver-related complications, decompensated cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. It is more important than ever to reinforce and scale-up action towards HCV elimination. Yet, efforts urgently need the dedicated commitment of policymakers at all governmental and policy levels. Therefore, the 3rd EU Policy Summit, held in March 2021, featured EU parliamentarians and other key decision makers to promote dialogue and take strides towards securing wider EU commitment to advance and achieve HCV elimination by 2030. We have summarized the key action points and report the 'Call-to-Action' statement supported by all the major relevant European associations in the field
A community-based fast-track seek-test-treat program to enhance diagnosis and linkage to care for hepatitis C infection among people who inject drugs in Athens, Greece (ARISTOTLE HCV-HIV program)
Factors associated with failure to link people who inject drugs to HCV care and treatment: results from a community-based seek-test-treat program in Athens, Greece (ARISTOTLE HCV-HIV)
Ongoing HIV transmission following a large outbreak among people who inject drugs in Athens, Greece (2014-20)
Background and Aims: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) outbreak
among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Athens, Greece in 2011-13 was
the largest recent epidemic in Europe and North America. We aimed to
assess trends in HIV prevalence, drug use and access to prevention among
PWID in Athens to estimate HIV incidence and identify risk factors and
to explore HIV-1 dispersal using molecular methods during 2014-20.
Methods: Two community-based HIV/hepatitis C programmes on PWID were
implemented in 2012-13 (n = 3320) and 2018-20 (n = 1635) through
consecutive respondent-driven sampling (RDS) rounds. PWID were uniquely
identified among rounds/programmes. We obtained RDS-weighted HIV
prevalence estimates per round for 2018-20 and compared them to 2012-13.
We assessed changes in HIV status, behaviours and access to prevention
in PWID participating in both periods. We estimated HIV incidence in a
cohort of seronegative PWID as the number of HIV seroconversions/100
person-years during 2014-20 and used Cox regression to identify
associated risk factors. Molecular sequencing and phylogenetic analysis
were performed in HIV seroconverters.
Results: HIV prevalence per round ranged between 12.0 and 16.2% in
2012-13 and 10.7 and 11.3% in 2018-20 with overlapping 95% confidence
intervals (95% CI). Among PWID participating in both programmes, HIV
prevalence (95% CI) increased from 14.2% (11.7-17.1%) in 2012-13 to
22.0% (19.0-25.3%) in 2018-20 (P < 0.001). There was a deterioration
in socio-economic characteristics such as homelessness [from 16.2%
(95% CI = 13.5-19.2%) to 25.6% (22.3-29.0%)], a shift in cocaine use
[16.6% (13.9-19.6%) versus 28.1% (24.7-31.7%], reduced access to
free syringes [51.8% (48.0-55.7%) versus 44.5% (40.7-48.3%)] and a
decrease in daily injecting [36.2% (32.6-39.9%) versus 28.5%
(25.2-32.1%)]. HIV incidence (95% CI) in 2014-20 was 1.94 (1.50-2.52)
new cases/100 person-years and younger age, lower educational level,
larger injection network and daily injecting were risk factors. Almost
9% of HIV seroconversions occurred within a newly expanding
phylogenetic cluster.
Conclusions: In Athens, Greece, compared with the period 2012-13, in the
period 2018-20 there was a deterioration in socio-economic conditions
among people who inject drugs, an increase in the use of cocaine,
reduced access to needle and syringe programmes and stable low levels of
human immunodeficiency virus testing. Ongoing human immunodeficiency
virus transmission was documented during 2014-20 in existing as well as
new transmission clusters
Securing wider EU commitment to the elimination of HCV.
In 2016, the Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association (HepBCPPA), gathered all the main stakeholders in the field of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to launch the now landmark HCV Elimination Manifesto, calling for the elimination of HCV in the EU by 2030. Since then, many European countries have made progress towards HCV elimination. Multiple programs - from the municipality level to the EU level - were launched, resulting in an overall decrease of viremic HCV infections and liver-related mortality. However, as of 2021, most countries are not on track to reach the 2030 HCV elimination targets set by the WHO. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a decrease in HCV diagnoses and fewer direct acting antiviral treatment initiations in 2020. Diagnostic and therapeutic tools to easily diagnose and treat chronic HCV infection are now well established. Treating all patients with chronic HCV infection is more cost-saving than treating and caring for patients with liver-related complications, decompensated cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. It is more important than ever to reinforce and scale-up action towards HCV elimination. Yet, efforts urgently need the dedicated commitment of policymakers at all governmental and policy levels. Therefore, the 3rd EU Policy Summit, held in March 2021, featured EU parliamentarians and other key decision makers to promote dialogue and take strides towards securing wider EU commitment to advance and achieve HCV elimination by 2030. We have summarized the key action points and report the 'Call-to-Action' statement supported by all the major relevant European associations in the field
Securing wider EU commitment to the elimination of hepatitis C virus
In 2016, the Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association (HepBCPPA), gathered all the main stakeholders in the field of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to launch the now landmark HCV Elimination Manifesto, calling for the elimination of HCV in the EU by 2030. Since then, many European countries have made progress towards HCV elimination. Multiple programmes—from the municipality level to the EU level—were launched, resulting in an overall decrease in viremic HCV infections and liver-related mortality. However, as of 2021, most countries are not on track to reach the 2030 HCV elimination targets set by the WHO. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a decrease in HCV diagnoses and fewer direct-acting antiviral treatment initiations in 2020. Diagnostic and therapeutic tools to easily diagnose and treat chronic HCV infection are now well established. Treating all patients with chronic HCV infection is more cost-saving than treating and caring for patients with liver-related complications, decompensated cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. It is more important than ever to reinforce and scale-up action towards HCV elimination. Yet, efforts urgently need the dedicated commitment of policymakers at all governmental and policy levels. Therefore, the third EU Policy Summit, held in March 2021, featured EU parliamentarians and other key decision makers to promote dialogue and take strides towards securing wider EU commitment to advance and achieve HCV elimination by 2030. We have summarized the key action points and reported the ‘Call-to-Action’ statement supported by all the major relevant European associations in the field
Advancing the global public health agenda for NAFLD: a consensus statement
© Springer Nature Limited 2021, corrected publication 2021Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a potentially serious liver disease that affects approximately one-quarter of the global adult population, causing a substantial burden of ill health with wide-ranging social and economic implications. It is a multisystem disease and is considered the hepatic component of metabolic syndrome. Unlike other highly prevalent conditions, NAFLD has received little attention from the global public health community. Health system and public health responses to NAFLD have been weak and fragmented, and, despite its pervasiveness, NAFLD is largely unknown outside hepatology and gastroenterology. There is only a nascent global public health movement addressing NAFLD, and the disease is absent from nearly all national and international strategies and policies for non-communicable diseases, including obesity. In this global Delphi study, a multidisciplinary group of experts developed consensus statements and recommendations, which a larger group of collaborators reviewed over three rounds until consensus was achieved. The resulting consensus statements and recommendations address a broad range of topics - from epidemiology, awareness, care and treatment to public health policies and leadership - that have general relevance for policy-makers, health-care practitioners, civil society groups, research institutions and affected populations. These recommendations should provide a strong foundation for a comprehensive public health response to NAFLD.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Advancing the global public health agenda for NAFLD: a consensus statement
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a potentially serious liver disease that affects
approximately one-quarter of the global adult population, causing a substantial burden of ill health
with wide-ranging social and economic implications. It is a multisystem disease and is considered
the hepatic component of metabolic syndrome. Unlike other highly prevalent conditions, NAFLD
has received little attention from the global public health community. Health system and public
health responses to NAFLD have been weak and fragmented, and, despite its pervasiveness,
NAFLD is largely unknown outside hepatology and gastroenterology. There is only a nascent global
public health movement addressing NAFLD, and the disease is absent from nearly all national
and international strategies and policies for non-communicable diseases, including obesity.
In this global Delphi study, a multidisciplinary group of experts developed consensus statements
and recommendations, which a larger group of collaborators reviewed over three rounds until
consensus was achieved. The resulting consensus statements and recommendations address
a broad range of topics — from epidemiology, awareness, care and treatment to public health
policies and leadership — that have general relevance for policy-makers, health-care practitioners,
civil society groups, research institutions and affected populations. These recommendations
should provide a strong foundation for a comprehensive public health response to NAFLD