World Hepatitis Day 2023 - NDPHS

World Hepatitis Day 2023

31 July, 2023

The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to eliminate viral hepatitis as a health problem by 2030. The goal is threatened because identification and treatment of infected people are not sufficiently effective. Worldwide hepatitis B and C cause approximately 8000 new Infections every day. Only 10 % of hepatitis B infected and 21 % hepatitis C infected are aware of the infection and, respectively, only 2 % and 13 % of those who have been infected have been treated.

Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood and the most significant risk factor is injecting drug use. The infected person often does not know about his infection because hepatitis C is usually asymptomatic. Only one in four infected people in the early stages of infection receive symptoms such as loss of appetite, fatigue, fever, joint and muscle pain, and jaundice.

Most hepatitis C infected people remain carriers of the virus, meaning that the infection is chronic. Chronic infection predisposes to cirrhosis of the liver, which is the highest risk factor for liver cancer in Europe. There is no vaccine against hepatitis C. However, a timely found hepatitis C infection and its treatment will help prevent the health damage caused by infection and reduce the further spread of infections.

If we want to achieve the target set by the WHO, immediate action is needed: sufficient resources and properly targeted and effective measures. Since injecting drug use is the most significant risk factor for hepatitis C infection, prevention methods especially targeted to this group are needed, such as increasing information, exchanging used injecting equipment to clean ones and increase of opioid substitution therapy.

However, preventive measures alone are not enough. Testing and availability of treatment need to be improved, especially among people who inject drugs and prisoners. With current virus specific drugs, treatment of hepatitis C is simple and effective.

Everyone has the right to receive the treatment they need.

 

Text: Henrikki Brummer-Korvenkontio, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Member of the NDPHS Expert Group on HIV, TB, and Associated Infections

Other News
The MentalHealthMatters project culminates in Vilnius
In April, the MentalHealthMatters project held its final event in Vilnius, Lithuania, where the project partners shared key findings from this two-year-long initiative to improve mental health in modern workplaces across the Baltic Sea Region. The event, which coincided with the EUSBSR Policy Area Health Steering Group meeting, showcased the project's achievements in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, and Poland and explored future directions for Baltic Sea Region collaboration in this area.
16 April, 2025
What makes a workplace age friendly, and why should we evaluate it?
The nature of our occupation not only influences our aging process, but our evolving age also impacts the types of jobs we can pursue and how we perform. Our Interreg Central Baltic project SAFE seeks to improve employment opportunities for individuals aged 55 and above and will propose solutions for age friendly practices at work. During a project partner meeting hosted by the NDPHS Secretariat in Stockholm, we finalized the key steps in developing a self-assessment tool that will help companies to determine their age friendliness culture or a lack of it. The online tool will be piloted later this year.
26 March, 2025
World TB Day “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver”
Tuberculosis remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease. On World TB Day we highlight an ongoing study led by Finnish Lung Health Association (FILHA) in close collaboration with the NDPHS Expert Group on HIV, TB and Associated Infections. The study is a part of the the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services financed project with an aim to increase knowledge and data about the latent TB infection situation in our region, provide evidence-based policy advice, improve cooperation between the countries in Nordic-Baltic region as well as Ukraine, and contribute to the WHO End TB Strategy.
24 March, 2025
Bridging Culture and Health: Collaborative Workshop Shapes Future Policy in Latvia
In the frame of the Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region project, we participated in a workshop with the Ministries of Culture, Health, and Welfare of the Republic of Latvia to assess the current state of intersectoral collaboration between the culture and health. The NDPHS Secretariat director Ülla-Karin Nurm highlighted the role of culture in enhancing people’s health and well-being because culture is more than just an art form.
19 March, 2025
Entering the final quarter of the MentalHealthMatters project
After 1.5 years of in-depth research and collaboration aimed at identifying gaps and needs in occupational safety and health data and practices, the MentalHealthMatters (MHM) project is nearing its end. Recently, in the heart of a cold winter in Trondheim, all the partners came together to discuss the areas most in need of improvement and to finalize the digital mental health support toolkit set for launch this spring. With just a few months to go, the team is also preparing for the project's culmination event.
5 March, 2025
NordAN Open Day in Stockholm explores the growing challenges of alcohol availability
On February 6, NDPHS Secretariat hosted a Nordic Alcohol and Drug Policy Network's event "NordAN Open Day". The event explored concerning policy shifts that could increase alcohol-related harm and identified ways to strengthen Nordic and Baltic cooperation in addressing these issues. Ülla-Karin Nurm, director of the NDPHS Secretariat, contributed to the discussions, reinforcing the importance of regional cooperation in public health and alcohol policy.
18 February, 2025
A WHO/ Europe recent report explores the role of Nordic alcohol monopolies
For decades, alcohol consumption has ranked as one of the leading risk factors for disease and premature mortality. Despite prevention and control efforts, Europe has the highest alcohol per capita consumption (APC) but one region stands out - the Nordic countries, including Finland, Norway, and Sweden - where APC is lower than anywhere else in the EU. Why? Governed by strict regulations to eliminate private profit motives, the Nordic alcohol retail monopolies prioritize health and well-being of their citizens. A recent WHO/Europe report highlights the monopolies as a model for reducing alcohol consumption and related harm.
13 February, 2025
Interreg Central Baltic projects join forces to improve labour market opportunities for senior workers
Work is more than just a means to earn a living; it is a way to connect and to share knowledge and experiences. The continued participation of senior workers in working life is critical for both - economic sustainability and individual well-being. Projects "Solutions for Age-Friendly Employer" (SAFE) and "Silver Strategies" address challenges that prevent the full potential of senior workers from being realised. Fresh after the winter break the project partners met in Tallinn to explore thematic synergies.
24 January, 2025
All News >