Testing
Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C
can be the first step to accessing healthcare,
treatment and support.
Effective testing and treatment of both hepatitis B and C requires a high level of interpersonal and communication skills. On this website, you will find information about people at risk, their needs and required communicational skills to overcome barriers to testing.
PEOPLE AT RISK
Over 13 million adults are living with hepatitis B and 15 million with hepatitis C in the European Region, indicating a huge burden of treatment and care.
ADULTS living with HEPATITIS B
ADULTS living with HEPATITIS C
UNAWARE of THEIR CONDITION
Recent studies highlighted that there are grounds for greater optimism in preventing and treating viral hepatitis.
However, around 90 % of an estimated 10 million people in Europe who have hepatitis B or C are unaware of their conditions.
PEOPLE who have HEPATITIS B or C
Identifying if someone has
Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C
can be the first step to accessing healthcare, treatment and support.
TESTING
There are huge opportunities to improve viral hepatitis diagnostics technologies, strategies and approaches, essential for rapidly expanding viral hepatitis testing services and ensuring accurate and reliable diagnosis, clinical assessment and patient monitoring.
Simpler
Time & Cost Saving
Accessible
BARRIERS TO TESTING
It is widely recognised that stigmatised, marginalised and socially excluded groups, such as PWID, face barriers accessing healthcare services. Understanding these barriers can determine the responses needed to overcome them and increase access to hepatitis B and hepatitis C testing.
STIGMATISATION
For people at risk, fear of stigmatisation, marginalisation, cultural and social isolation, negative impact on employment prospects, positive diagnosis and judgement from healthcare workers.
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
Lack of knowledge among healthcare professionals of the risk factors for hepatitis B and C, the potential for treatment, new testing technologies, conducting pre- and post- testing discussion.
OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS TO TESTING
Overcoming hepatitis-related health inequalities and barriers requires enhanced knowledge, skills and competency in regard to the differences between hepatitis B and C.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Effective, considered and respectful communication may be the first essential step to overcome the fears. Healthcare workers should be able to communicate about sexual behaviours and injecting drug use, in a way that is individualised, sensitive to cultural diversity and needs.
GET INFORMATION
Overcoming hepatitis-related health inequalities and barriers requires enhanced knowledge, skills and competency in regard to the differences between hepatitis B and C. Given the prevalence among PWID, healthcare workers require an understanding of how injecting can be optimised to prevent hepatitis transmission and other risks. The development of supportive healthcare cultures, providing hepatitis B vaccination and evidence-based harm reduction responses including hepatitis B vaccination, can significantly contribute to the reduction of infections and increase diagnosis and access to treatment.
Hepatitis C Initiative
Correlation Office
www.correlation-net.org
www.hepatitis-c-initiative.org
administration@correlation-net.org
tel. 0031 20 5317600
