Epidemiological assessment of hepatitis B and C among migrants in the EU/EEA

Hepatitis B and C are viruses that infect the liver and can silently progress to become serious diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Effective antiviral treatment is available and timely treatment of eligible patients can prevent hepatitis-related burden of disease and death. The main bottleneck in providing treatment to those who could benefit occurs with case detection. 'Foreign-born migrants' - those born outside their current country of residence (hereafter referred to as migrants) are one of the key populations at higher risk of hepatitis B and C in the EU/EEA and thus important targets for hepatitis-specific prevention and care programmes. In order to inform policy-making and healthcare planning, it is crucial to have a good understanding of the burden of hepatitis B and C infection among migrants. This will enable policymakers to prepare the ground for targeted screening programmes and other prevention measures. This report gives an overview of chronic hepatitis B and C virus infection among foreign-born migrants in the EU/EEA.