Monitoring response to hepatitis B and C in EU/EEA: testing policies, availability of data on care cascade and chronic viral hepatitis-related mortality - results from two surveys (2016).

OBJECTIVES: The World Health Organization (WHO) developed a European Regional Action Plan (EAP) to fast-track action towards the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis. Robust monitoring is essential to assess national programme performance. The purpose of this study was to assess the availability of selected monitoring data sources in European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) Member States (MS). METHODS: Availability of data sources at EU/EEA level was assessed using two surveys distributed to 31 EU/EEA MS in 2016. The two surveys covered (A) availability of policy documents on testing; testing practices and monitoring; monitoring of diagnosis and treatment initiation, and; (B) availability of data on mortality attributable to chronic viral hepatitis. RESULTS: Just over two-thirds of EU/EEA MS responded to the surveys. 86% (18/21) reported national testing guidance covering HBV, and 81% (17/21) covering HCV; while 33% (7/21) and 38% (8/21) of countries, respectively, monitored the number of tests performed. 71% (15/21) of countries monitored the number of chronic HBV cases diagnosed and 33% (7/21) the number of people treated. Corresponding figures for HCV were 48% (10/21) and 57% (12/21). 27% (6/22) of countries reported availability of data on mortality attributable to chronic viral hepatitis. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that sources of information in EU/EEA Member States to monitor the progress towards the EAP milestones and targets related to viral hepatitis diagnosis, cascade of care and attributable mortality are limited. Our analysis should raise awareness among EU/EEA policy makers and stimulate higher prioritisation of efforts to improve the monitoring of national viral hepatitis programmes.

Erratum to: Changes in the pneumococcal disease-related hospitalisations in Spain after the replacement of 7-valent by 13-valent conjugate vaccine.

The original version of this article was published online with an incorrectly arranged Table 2. Also, Figs. 1 and 2 were missing the legends.

Changes in the pneumococcal disease-related hospitalisations in Spain after the replacement of 7-valent by 13-valent conjugate vaccine.

In Spain, anti-pneumococcal vaccination is recommended for all children under 2 years old, high-risk groups and adults ≥65 years old. However, it is not funded in most autonomous communities. This study aims to compare pneumococcal disease hospitalisation rates between Period 1 (2007-2009), when 7-valent (PCV7) vaccine was available, and Period 2 (2011-2013), after the change to 13-valent (PCV13) vaccine in Spain. Data on hospitalisations were obtained from the National Registry of Hospitalisations. We calculated hospitalisation rates (HRs) and hospitalisation rate ratios (HRRs) among periods by age group and autonomous community, for all and by clinical presentation. From 138,361 patients hospitalised, 83,528 (60.4 %) were males. The median age was 73.8 years. The most common clinical presentation was pneumonia (133,204 hospitalisations; 96.3 %), followed by septicaemia (7053 hospitalisations; 5.1 %) and meningitis (3182 hospitalisations; 2.3 %). In Period 2, hospitalisations among children <5 years old decreased for pneumonia [HRR: 0.37; 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI): 0.35 to 0.39] and meningitis (HRR: 0.53; 95 % CI: 0.44 to 0.65). For adults ≥65 years old, pneumonia (HRR: 0.49; 95 % CI: 0.49 to 0.50) and peritonitis (HRR: 0.34; 95 % CI: 0.19 to 0.63) hospitalisations decreased and septicaemia hospitalisations (HRR: 1.27; 95 % CI: 1.18 to 1.36) increased. Significant changes in HRs for pneumococcal disease were observed even without an integrated and continuous vaccination programme after the introduction of PCV13, especially in children <5 years old and for pneumonia. The impact of the PCV13 adult vaccination new recommendations on the septicaemia increase reported should be evaluated in the future.