Securing Wider EU Commitment to the Elimination of HCV
Despite the progress that has been made in recent years, HCV remains a major public health problem in Europe. In the European Union (EU) more people die each year from HCV than from HIV/AIDS. The latest data for the WHO European Region shows an estimated 15 million people have hepatitis C, which equates to 2.0% of all adults. When the elimination strategy was published in May 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that more than 7 million lives would be saved worldwide by 2030, if targets were achieved. However, according to recent European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) findings, only a few European countries have met the 2020 target of the European Action Plan in diagnosing 50% of people with chronic hepatitis B or C.
In the context of strained healthcare systems and shifting priorities, largely as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, it is essential to ensure that the importance of efforts to eliminate HCV is not forgotten. If anything, the current pandemic should underline the need for widespread and effective public health responses. HCV must continue to be a priority for decision makers.
This planned four-hour virtual summit aims to bring together policy-makers, experts, members of parliament, directors of national HCV elimination plans, mayors, patient associations, clinicians and MEPs from across Europe, to raise awareness on the state of play regarding the goal of elimination of HCV by 2030 and showcase best practices as well as indicate what policy actions are needed to get more countries on track to achieve HCV elimination by 2030.
The 3rd EU HCV Policy Summit will provide an exceptional opportunity for participants to
- Review the progress made in the last five years to understand how far Europe is from achieving the goal of eliminating HCV by 2030
- Exchange views on the role and state of diagnosis
- Evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the viral hepatitis elimination services
- Share national-level best practice and discuss EU’s position as a leader in helping deliver the elimination target
