Despite progress towards eliminating hepatitis in Europe, gaps in prevention measures keep 2030 targets out of reach

While Europe has made steady progress in preventing hepatitis B and C, with the prevalence of hepatitis B now at near-zero levels among children younger than 5, uneven implementation of key measures means the region is set to miss the 2030 target to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat, according to new data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on World Hepatitis Day.

Existing measures to control viral hepatitis across Europe include vaccination to prevent hepatitis B, harm reduction and infection control measures to prevent transmission, testing to identify infections early, and treatments that can cure hepatitis C and control hepatitis B. Routine screening for hepatitis B in pregnancy is now well established across all 30 European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries and has helped bring down vertical transmission of hepatitis B from mother to child to below 2% across the EU/EEA.

New data published by ECDC show sustained declines in acute hepatitis B infections since 2006, demonstrating the effectiveness of long-standing prevention efforts across the region. Among people younger than 25, the proportion of acute hepatitis B cases fell from 11% in 2015 to 8% in 2024, reflecting the impact of childhood vaccination programs and other prevention measures.

Across the region, comprehensive screening systems are also now in place to help prevent the transmission of hepatitis B or C through blood, tissues or cells.

The results of a recent ECDC survey indicate that many countries have robust systems to meet the new standards for blood, tissue and cell safety laid out in the EU regulation on substances of human origin.

At the same time, viral hepatitis remains an enormous public health challenge across Europe. An estimated 5 million people in the EU/EEA are living with chronic hepatitis B or C, and almost 60,000 people die each year from liver disease linked to these infections, showing the need for further action.

One remaining challenge is gaps in the prevention of viral hepatitis at the community level. A minority of countries (nine out of 25) across the EU/EEA have reached the WHO target of fully vaccinating 95% of children against hepatitis B. Some countries even reported a decline in coverage in recent years.

Injecting drug use accounts for most cases of hepatitis C with a known transmission route. While harm reduction measures such as opioid agonist treatment and the provision of sterile needles and syringes are effective in minimizing transmission, coverage across the EU/EEA remains inadequate, with only seven countries meeting the WHO target for distribution of sterile injection equipment for people who inject drugs.

ECDC and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) have outlined key interventions to prevent and control infectious diseases for people who inject drugs and developed an online toolkit to support efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis in prisons. Improving health care in these settings would substantially reduce transmission and work toward ending hepatitis as a public health threat.

Provided by
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

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Sadie Harley

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