scholarly journals Surveillance and epidemiology of hepatitis B and C in Europe – a review

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Merja Rantala ◽  
M J van de Laar

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are frequent causes of acute and chronic hepatitis worldwide and leading causes for hepatic cirrhosis and cancer. There is a distinct geographical variation in HBV and HCV incidence and prevalence in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area/European Free Trade Association (EEA/EFTA) member states and neighbouring countries. The HBV carrier prevalence ranges from 0.1 to 8.0% and that of HCV from 0.1 to 6.0%. Within the last few years, the HBV incidence has decreased while the HCV incidence has increased. Both diseases are concentrated in certain subpopulations, such as injecting drug users, with tens of times higher prevalence than in the general population. Most EU and EEA/EFTA countries have a surveillance system for HBV and HCV infections, but due to differences in system structures, reporting practices, data collection methods and case definitions used, the surveillance data are difficult to compare across countries. The harmonisation and strengthening of HBV and HCV surveillance at the European level is of utmost importance to obtain more robust data on these diseases.

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 32-59
Author(s):  
GEORGES S BAUR

AbstractAfter the financial crisis of 2008, the European Union (‘EU’) not only increased its substantial legislation regarding financial services, but also built up a strong and unified system of financial market supervision. In particular, central surveillance authorities were created. These were given far-reaching competences with regard to substituting dysfunctional national authorities or players in the financial services sector. The three European Economic Area (‘EEA’) and European Free Trade Association (‘EFTA’) States—Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway—participate in the EU's internal market through their membership of the EEA. In order to continue participating on an equal footing in the internal market for financial services and to honour their duty to maintain homogeneity, the EEA EFTA States also had to incorporate the new institutional setup regarding financial services supervision. This obligation, however, in particular relating to certain intrusive powers of the new surveillance authorities, collided with some constitutional reservations, above all of the two Nordic EEA EFTA States. This article will show how these conflicting aims could be merged into a system that on the one hand guarantees the unified overall approach needed for strengthened surveillance of the internal market for financial services, and on the other hand safeguards certain constitutional reservations of the EEA EFTA States. It also looks at how third countries that do not (fully) participate in the internal market, such as the United Kingdom and Switzerland, are likely to be treated in this context by the EU.


Author(s):  
Daniel Myran ◽  
Rachael Morton ◽  
Beverly-Ann Biggs ◽  
Irene Veldhuijzen ◽  
Francesco Castelli ◽  
...  

Migrants from hepatitis B virus (HBV) endemic countries to the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) comprise 5.1% of the total EU/EEA population but account for 25% of total chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) infection. Migrants from high HBV prevalence regions are at the highest risk for CHB morbidity. These migrants are at risk of late detection of CHB complications; mortality and onwards transmission. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of CHB screening and vaccination programs among migrants to the EU/EEA. We found no RCTs or direct evidence evaluating the effectiveness of CHB screening on morbidity and mortality of migrants. We therefore used a systematic evidence chain approach to identify studies relevant to screening and prevention programs; testing, treatment, and vaccination. We identified four systematic reviews and five additional studies and guidelines that reported on screening and vaccination effectiveness. Studies reported that vaccination programs were highly effective at reducing the prevalence of CHB in children (RR 0.07 95% CI 0.04 to 0.13) following vaccination. Two meta-analyses of therapy for chronic HBV infection found improvement in clinical outcomes and intermediate markers of disease. We identified nine studies examining the cost-effectiveness of screening for CHB: a strategy of screening and treating CHB compared to no screening. The median acceptance of HB screening was 87.4% (range 32.3–100%). Multiple studies highlighted barriers to and the absence of effective strategies to ensure linkage of treatment and care for migrants with CHB. In conclusion, screening of high-risk children and adults and vaccination of susceptible children, combined with treatment of CHB infection in migrants, are promising and cost-effective interventions, but linkage to treatment requires more attention.


2013 ◽  
Vol 142 (2) ◽  
pp. 270-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. D. HOPE ◽  
I. ERAMOVA ◽  
D. CAPURRO ◽  
M. C. DONOGHOE

SUMMARYKnowledge of hepatitis B and C prevalence, and numbers infected, are important for planning responses. Published HBsAg and anti-HCV prevalences for the 20 WHO European Region countries outside the EU/EFTA were extracted, to complement published data for the EU/EFTA. The general population prevalence of HBsAg (median 3·8%, mean 5·0%, seven countries) ranged from 1·3% (Ukraine) to 13% (Uzbekistan), and anti-HCV (median 2·3%, mean 3·8%, 10 countries) from 0·5% (Serbia, Tajikistan) to 13% (Uzbekistan). People who inject drugs had the highest prevalence of both infections (HBsAg: median 6·8%, mean 8·2%, 13 countries; anti-HCV: median 46%, mean 46%, 17 countries), and prevalence was also elevated in men who have sex with men and sex workers. Simple estimates indicated 13·3 million (1·8%) adults have HBsAg and 15·0 million (2·0%) HCV RNA in the WHO European Region; prevalences were higher outside the EU/EFTA countries. Efforts to prevent, diagnose, and treat these infections need to be maintained and improved.This article may not be reprinted or reused in any way in order to promote any commercial products or services.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (35) ◽  
pp. 313-321
Author(s):  
Lucia Khúlová

Abstract The Member States of the European Free Trade Association are the considerable opportunity for export, especially for countries of the European Union. The European Economic Area unites the Member States of European Union and Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland (the three EFTA countries) into an Internal Market. The paper deals with comparison the basic data of EFTA Member States such as geography, infrastructure, GDP. Due to Logistics Performance Index, it is possible to compare the level of logistics and transportation conditions in selected countries. The export costs and delivery time from a one Member State of European Union to capital cities of EFTA Member States are identified by using online calculator of chosen integrators.


2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-450
Author(s):  
Balázs Tóth ◽  
Edit Lippai-Makra ◽  
Dániel Szládek ◽  
Gábor Dávid Kiss

Nowadays more and more economic actors publish information regarding sustainability, through economic (E), social (S), and governance (G) performance. In the case of banks, ESG performance is important as they affect most of the industries through their investments and loans. In this research our aim is to investigate the relationship between financial stability and ESG performance. We applied panel regressive methods during the analysis. The sample consisted of stock exchange listed lending institutions (243 banks) from the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Our results show that ESG performance reduced the ratio of non-performing loans significantly. Furthermore, the positive effect of regulatory capital has been confirmed. Consequently, we can assert that the economic, social, and governance performance have beneficial impacts on financial stability. Therefore, the consideration of these pieces of information should be important for the investors and the regulators as well.


2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (48) ◽  
Author(s):  
G Likatavicius ◽  
M Van de Laar

In 2011, a total of 28,038 new HIV diagnoses were reported by European Union and European Economic Area countries. The annual rate of HIV diagnoses does not show clear signs of decrease and HIV continues to be concentrated in selected populations such as men who have sex with men and injecting drug users, and a high proportion reported as late presenters. Despite effective and available antiretroviral treatment, the number of AIDS cases increased in a few countries.


1991 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 310-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.-C. Jung ◽  
U. Spengler ◽  
W. Schraut ◽  
R. Hoffmann ◽  
R. Zachoval ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 90 (10) ◽  
pp. 1576-1585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeroen Cremer ◽  
Sanne H. I. Hofstraat ◽  
Francoise van Heiningen ◽  
Irene K. Veldhuijzen ◽  
Birgit H. B. van Benthem ◽  
...  

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