While the High Authority of Health calls for the generalization of the proposed routine testing for HIV / AIDS, Hepatitis SOS (Association of patients with a chronic liver disease) is a lack of consideration of all stakeholders in the system Health on the issue of screening for viral hepatitis.
According to the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin of May 19, 2009 (Institute of Health Surveillance) over 500 000 people are carriers of chronic viral hepatitis (232 hepatitis C 000, 281 000 hepatitis B) and nearly 50% do not know and not yet detected. More than 250 000 people living in France with a virus that can potentially destroy their livers.
Without screening, these chronic infections can go completely unnoticed (very few symptoms except fatigue) and lead to severe liver failure or liver cancer, for which no therapeutic use, including transplant is possible.
Over 250 000 people live in France without knowing it, with a bomb in the liver, while there are effective treatments! Viral hepatitis is responsible for 10 times more deaths in France that HIV / AIDS, “says SOS and hepatitis. In addition there are 5000 new infections per year for hepatitis C and 2500 for hepatitis B. Yet , treatment against hepatitis C can cure (viral suppression) in 50% of cases and treatment against hepatitis B can block the virus in more than 80% of cases.
Hepatitis SOS request therefore a generalization of the proposed systematic screening of viral hepatitis, primarily among older transfused, pregnant women, drug users, prisoners, persons of foreign origin residing in France and also those starting a cancer chemotherapy.
This implies, by association, a release of funds by the Ministry of Health to develop a training policy and provision of screening at health care facilities that host populations mentioned above. This implies also the High Health Authority to catch up on the validation of algorithms for detection of hepatitis B and to extend its recommendations to encourage screening for viral hepatitis. Finally, Social Security would pay 100% screening test for hepatitis B.
Tags: hepatitis, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, infection, liver, liver failure, symptoms, virus