Headlines - National Hepatitis B and C Day, May 19, 2014

Hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viruses are transmitted through contaminated blood, either by direct contact or via a contaminated object. HBV is also transmitted sexually and from mother to child. Chronic hepatitis B and C constitute a real public health problem in our country, due to the potential severity of these infections (risk of progression to cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma, resulting in approximately 4,000 deaths annually), the number of infected individuals (approximately 500,000), and their impact—particularly psychological and social—on the quality of life of those affected. Currently, sexual contact for hepatitis B and injection drug use for hepatitis C are the primary risk factors for transmission of these two viruses in France. On the occasion of National Hepatitis Day on May 19, 2014, a report on the care of people infected with hepatitis B and C viruses was submitted to the Ministry of Health. It is based in particular on surveillance indicators provided by the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS). These indicators pertain to screening for hepatitis B and C (HBs antigen (Ag) and anti-HCV antibodies (Ab)) in the general population and prevalence in specific populations (blood donors, hospitalized patients, and people who inject drugs). A supplement to the Epidemiological Bulletin presents surveillance data for these diseases in the Burgundy and Franche-Comté regions. The epidemiological data generated in our country provide an estimate of the burden of these infections and the measures to be implemented to combat them, namely the promotion of screening for hepatitis B and C and vaccination against hepatitis B.