The Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs, Rocio Hernandezhas presented the Andalusian strategic plan to address viral hepatitis 2024-2030 (PEAHEP)approved by the Governing Council in July 2024, at a professional conference held in Seville. It is a operational action plan to improve the management of viral hepatitis in the community, where In 2023, 621 new cases of viral hepatitis were registered.
Hernández has highlighted that “This plan is pioneering in Spainsince it will be the first and the only one in which They encompass all viral hepatitis (HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV and HEV) in the same strategy”, aligning with the World Health Organization (WHO) goals for the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030.
This year, according to the WHO, more than 254 million people around the world are infected with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 50 million with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). WHO’s goal is to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, which includes 90% reduction in new infections and 65% reduction in mortality.
To face this public health challengethe PEAHEP arises as a response to the high prevalence and burden of disease, although “it is estimated that a significant part of the population of Andalusia is unaware of their infectionwhich contributes to continuous transmission and the progression of the disease towards more serious stages,” according to the general director of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Regulation, Jorge del Diego.
Likewise, the introduction of new treatments and prevention strategies The management of viral hepatitis has significantly improved. Direct Acting Antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C, vaccines for hepatitis A and B, and prevention strategies for hepatitis E and D have proven to be highly effective. These treatments and preventive measures not only improve individual health, but also significantly reduce the risk of transmissionby eliminating active infection in treated patients and preventing new infections.
In 2023, a total of 621 cases of viral hepatitis were reported in Andalusia: 72 hepatitis A; 79 hepatitis B; 393 from hepatitis C and 77 from other viral hepatitis. Of the total infections, 443 were in men, which represents 71.3% of the total, and 178 in women, which represents 28.66%. By age, the highest number of infections occurs in the age group of 45 to 65 years for all types of viral hepatitis among men, with 251 cases (56.65% of total cases in men); while in women it varies depending on the type, thus the contagion of hepatitis A was recorded to a greater extent among those under 14 years of age (with 11 cases in total) and the rest was also concentrated in the group of 45 to 65 years (six of hepatitis B, 54 of C and 17 of the rest).
The incidence of hepatitis A in Andalusia is 8.4 per 100,000 inhabitants; hepatitis B is 9.2 per 100,000 inhabitants; The rate of hepatitis C is 45.8 per 100,000 inhabitants and that of the rest of viral hepatitis is 9 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Promotion, prevention, diagnosis, epidemiological surveillance and treatment
The Andalusian Strategic Plan to address viral hepatitis 2024-2030 is structured in five specific strategic lines and two transversal ones. The first focuses on the health promotion to enhance the capabilities of the population to improve their health and adopt healthy habits through health education.
The second line, dedicated to prevention and diagnosisproposes strengthening the immunity of the population at highest risk against hepatitis A and B, improving preventive education and promoting early diagnosis to cut the chains of transmission. A priority objective is for 90% of people infected with the hepatitis C virus to be diagnosed, thus reducing the incidence of new infections.
The third line focuses on the consumer protectionSpecifically, it aims reduce the health impact of consuming foods contaminated with hepatitis A; reduce the risk of foodborne hepatitis E virus transmission and implement an information system with a ‘One Health’ approach to improve surveillance of hepatitis A and E.
The fourth line is based on facilitate access to antiviral treatment and monitoring for people diagnosed with hepatitis B, C and Dboth to the general population and to vulnerable groups with poor adherence to specialized consultation. To this end, one-step diagnosis for hepatitis C will be progressively implemented, with ongoing development for hepatitis B and D.
The fifth strategic line establishes the general objectives of knowing the epidemiological situation of viral hepatitis in Andalusia; strengthen epidemiological surveillance mechanisms to improve the detection of cases of viral hepatitis and adopt preventive and control measures.
Finally, the two transversal lines refer to the trainingto promote knowledge and awareness about the management of viral hepatitis among health professionals and develop a training plan so that professionals acquire the necessary skills in their management; and research and innovation.