Numbers
In 2016, the World Health Organisation (WHO) set specific targets for eliminating the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030 [1]. The targets involve a 90% reduction in the incidence of chronic HBV and HCV infections and a 65% reduction in their mortality. Sciensano therefore pays more attention to monitoring these infections in Belgium. The data presented below will be updated soon.
Hepatitis in Belgium
Hepatitis B
- Sciensano’s latest surveillance report on the hepatitis B virus [2] dates from 2018.
- At the time, the sentinel laboratories [3] reported 2,116 new cases of active infection (non-exhaustive data).
- These infections mainly affected men (56%) and people in the 25-44 years old age group (53%).
Hepatitis C
In the general population
- Sciensano’s latest surveillance report on the hepatitis C-virus [4] dates from 2016.
- At that time, the annual incidence of hepatitis C was estimated at 1,500 cases (13.6 per 100,000 citizens). The prevalence of HCV remained highest in men, with an average age of 45-49 years old.
- In 2019, a study published by Sciensano among others, [5] estimated the seroprevalence of HCV in the general Belgian population at 0.22% and the prevalence of chronic HCV infection at 0.12%.
- In 2020, the Belgian HCV coalition [6] estimated that 18,000 people in our country are infected with hepatitis C and that each year, no less than 300 patients die as a result of their disease.
In the target groups
- In 2019, 253 people who used injectable drugs and high-risk opiate users took part in a study by Sciensano’s illegal drugs unit [7] and underwent an HCV rapid test. The total unweighted sample average for HCV antibodies was 41.1%. The weighted estimations were around 43.5%.
- In the same year, Sciensano participated in a multicentre interventional cohort study in Belgian prisons [8]. In total, 886 prisoners were tested in 11 Belgian prisons. The prevalence of HCV antibodies was 5.0%, HCV RNA 2.1% and hepatitis B surface antigen 0.8%.
- A retrospective (2009-2018), multicentre study [9] of people with HIV was published in 2021. Of the 4607 people tested, 7% tested positive for HCV antibodies and 6.3% for HCV RNA.
Hepatitis in Europe
In 2021, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported the following:
Hepatitis B [10]:
- a crude infection rate of 4.7 cases per 100,000 citizens
- an overall male-female ratio of 1.4:1
- a higher percentage in the 35-44 years age group
- a declining trend in the number of acute cases, probably as a result of the national vaccination programmes
- heterosexual transmission as the most frequent means of transmission (30%) for acute cases, followed by transmission between men who have sex with men (16%) and nosocomial transmission (12%).
Hepatitis C [11]:
- a crude infection rate of 4.1 cases per 100,000 citizens
- an overall male-female ratio of 2:1
- a higher percentage in the 35-44 years age group for men and in the 25-34 years age group for women
- injection drug use is the most frequent means of transmission (61% of the acute cases and 70% of chronic cases).
Global Hepatitis
According to the World Health Organisation:
- In 2019, 296 million people worldwide were living with chronic hepatitis B, with approximately 1.5 million new infections per year
- In 2019, hepatitis B caused approximately 820,000 deaths, primarily through cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. (WHO, Hepatitis B [12])
- In 2019, 58 million people worldwide were living with chronic hepatitis C, with approximately 1.5 million new infections per year
- Hepatitis C caused approximately 290,000 deaths, primarily through cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (WHO, Hepatitis C [11]).