Yasmina Kattou, edited by Loane Nader // photo credit: FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP
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06:39, July 25, 2023
Ahead of World Hepatitis Day which will take place next Friday, Public Health publishes a report this Monday morning and points out the shortcomings in screening for hepatitis C in particular. As part of the WHO goal of eliminating hepatitis by 2030, the institution is issuing recommendations to improve screening.
As Public Health France reveals in a report published this Monday morning, ahead of World Hepatitis Day which will take place on Friday, its screening is not effective enough in France. Hepatitis C, this disease which causes inflammation of the liver, would be the most concerned among all the hepadnaviruses. As part of the WHO objective of eliminating hepatitis by 2030, the national health agency then issues recommendations to improve screening.
First of all, the people to be screened should be better targeted. Today, screening for hepatitis B and C mainly concerns women aged 18 to 39. However, the main patients infected with hepatitis B are often men over 30 years old. As for hepatitis C, it tends to affect men aged 40 to 59, so it would be wiser to test men over 40.
A systematic test from the age of 40
In addition, the majority of screenings are carried out by general practitioners, yet many of them are unaware of the risk factors. Thus, it is recommended to improve the knowledge of general practitioners on the potential risks of contamination such as drug use via syringes, or blood transfusions carried out before 1992.
Finally, the introduction of a systematic test for everyone over 40 could improve the screening of those most affected by the disease.