The Andalusian plan to combat viral hepatitis aims to diagnose 90% of people infected with type C.

The Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs, Rocío Hernández, presented this Wednesday the Andalusian Strategic Plan for the fight against viral hepatitis 2024-2030 (Pihep), approved by the government council last July at a professional conference held in Seville. It’s about an operational action plan to improve the treatment of viral hepatitis in a community where 621 new cases of viral hepatitis were reported in 2023.

Hernandez emphasized that “This plan is groundbreaking in Spain as it will be the first and only one to include all viral hepatitis. (HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV and HEV) in one strategy”, which is in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) goals of eliminating viral hepatitis in 2030, as highlighted by the autonomous administration in the note.

This year, according to WHO, More than 254 million people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis B virus. (HBV) and 50 million with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The WHO’s goal is to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, which includes a 90% reduction in new infections and a 65% reduction in deaths.

To meet this public health ‘challenge’, Piahep is emerging as a response to the high prevalence and burden of disease, although “It is estimated that a large part of the Andalusian population is unaware of their infection. which contributes to the continuous transmission and progression of the disease to more serious stages,” said Jorge del Diego, Director General of the Office of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Regulation.

Likewise, the introduction of new treatment and prevention methods has significantly improved the treatment of viral hepatitis. Direct acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C, vaccines for hepatitis A and B, and prevention strategies for hepatitis E and D have been shown to be highly effective. “These treatment and prevention methods not only improve human health, but also significantly reduce the risk of transmission of the virus. by eliminating active infection in treated patients and preventing new infections,” the Council said.

In 2023, 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 number of infections, 443 were in men, accounting for 71.3% of the total, and 178 in women, accounting for 28.66%. By age, the largest number of infections occurs in the age group from 45 to 65 years for all types of viral hepatitis among men – 251 cases (56.65% of the total number of cases in men); in women it varies depending on the type, while hepatitis A infection was recorded to a greater extent among persons under the age of 14 years (11 cases in total), and the rest were also concentrated in the group from 45 to 65 years. (six from hepatitis B, 54 from C and 17 from the rest).

The incidence of hepatitis A in Andalusia is 8.4 per 100,000 inhabitants; hepatitis B – 9.2 per 100,000 inhabitants; The incidence rate of hepatitis C is 45.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, and for other viral hepatitis – 9 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Andalusian strategic plan to combat viral hepatitis 2024-2030. structured as follows: five specific strategic lines and two transverse lines. The first focuses on health promotion with the goal of increasing the population’s ability to improve their health and develop healthy habits through health education.

The second direction, dedicated to prevention and diagnosis, offers strengthen the immunity of the population most at risk against hepatitis A and B, improve preventive education and promote early diagnosis to break chains of transmission. The priority goal is to diagnose 90% of people infected with hepatitis C virus, which will reduce the incidence of new infections.

The third direction is focused on protecting consumer rights, in particular aims to reduce the health impact of consuming food contaminated with hepatitis A.; reduce the risk of foodborne hepatitis E virus transmission and implement a One Health information system 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 D, both for the general population and for vulnerable groups with poor adherence to specialist advice. To this end, one-stage diagnosis of hepatitis C will be gradually introduced with the constant development of hepatitis B and D.

The fifth strategic direction is designated as general goals. know the epidemiological situation regarding viral hepatitis in Andalusia; strengthen epidemiological surveillance mechanisms to improve detection of cases of viral hepatitis and implementation of prevention and control measures.

Finally, two transverse lines relate to training aimed at increasing knowledge and awareness of the management of viral hepatitis among health care workers, as well as developing a training plan to ensure that professionals acquire the necessary skills for managing viral hepatitis; research and innovation.