Between 2.4 and 4.1 million people estimated to be living with chronic hepatitis B infection in Europe
Infection found to be more prevalent in south and east of EU/EEA
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
image:
Probability of belonging to one of the studied population groups (migrants, people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men) among those living with chronic hepatitis B infection, EU/EEA countries and EU/EEA region
view moreCredit: Eurosurveillance
Chronic hepatitis B is substantially prevalent across the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA), affecting an estimated 0.7% of the population in the region in 2022, according to a new study published in Eurosurveillance. While this overall burden represents a decrease from the 2005 to 2015 estimate of 1%, infection rates vary significantly across countries, with the highest estimates found in countries in southern and eastern Europe, and the lowest in northern and western countries.
People who did not belong to any key population comprised about two thirds of all cases. However, estimated prevalence overall was higher in groups known to be disproportionately affected by hepatitis B. Still, this picture varied substantially between countries.
“The analysis confirms that the overall burden of chronic HBV infection remains considerable in the EU/EEA, with major differences between countries and key populations,” say Canabarro et al. “(…) The findings further underscore the complexity of the HBV situation in EU/EEA countries and the need for tailored, population-specific interventions.”
Persistent challenges to accurately estimate hepatitis B prevalence in the EU/EEA
Estimates suggest that only 15.7% of people with chronic hepatitis B in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region have been diagnosed. Accurate and up to date prevalence data for chronic hepatitis B are critical to informing efforts to scale up diagnosis but obtaining them remains a challenge. The infection is mostly asymptomatic and local testing practices can vary, so surveillance data do not provide robust enough information for estimating prevalence. In addition, key populations disproportionately affected by the infection are underrepresented in prevalence surveys.
Given these limitations, researchers used the United Nations’ Workbook Method to estimate prevalence by country and among men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID) and migrants. Prevalence was calculated by combining data on population size and hepatitis B prevalence for key populations. These data were gathered from scientific sources and reviewed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s (ECDC) hepatitis national contact points.
The study found that between 2.4 and 4.1 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B in 2022, with national prevalence ranging from 0.1% to 3.1%.
Among migrants, prevalence varied from 0.8% to 10.5% between countries. All of the countries where migrants comprised over three quarters of cases were located in northwestern Europe, apart from Cyprus. The burden across countries ranged between <0.1%-8.7% among people who inject drugs and <0.1% to 10.5% for men who have sex with men, with no clear geographical pattern.
Cases among people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men accounted for fewer cases at the national level compared to migrants and people outside of these populations, but prevalence was still higher.
These estimates confirm substantial chronic hepatitis B prevalence in the EU/EEA. Still, the methodology has several limitations, as it depends heavily on data quality and does not account for overlapping populations.
Improved estimates essential to support targeted public health interventions
The marked differences between countries and population groups in the prevalence of infection point to the relevance of tailored public health interventions. For migrants, Canabarro et al. suggest using data to improve targeted access to healthcare. On the other hand, people outside of key populations make up the majority of cases in the EU/EEA, underscoring the importance of general strategies for prevention, testing, and treatment.
Results align with previous research and provide reasonable estimates. However, there is still a need for better empirical data and further research to address limitations of this study, as accurate and current estimates are crucial to support and monitor prevention and control policies.
Journal
Eurosurveillance
Method of Research
Data/statistical analysis
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Use of the Workbook Method to estimate the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infections in the European Union and European Economic Area, 2022
Article Publication Date
9-Apr-2026
No comments:
Post a Comment