title: Prevention of viral hepatitis in the Nordic countries and Germany.
abstract: The Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board (VHPB) convened a meeting of international experts from the public and private sectors in the Nordic countries and Germany, in order to review the epidemiological situation, the surveillance systems for infectious diseases, the immunization programmes and policy, and the monitoring of adverse events after hepatitis vaccination in those countries, to evaluate prevention and control measures, and to identify the issues that arose and the lessons learnt. Considerable progress has been made in the past decades in the prevention and control of viral hepatitis in the respective countries. Vaccination programmes have been set up, blood products' safety has significantly been improved, and outbreak investigations remain the basis for the implementation of control measures. However, additional work remains to be done. Awareness of viral hepatitis among the public and professionals should further be raised, and more political support is needed regarding the value of prevention efforts and vaccination programmes.
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fitzsimons
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: François
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alpers
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Radun
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hallauer
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jilg
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gerlich
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rombo
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Blystad
authors.forename: Hanne
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nøkleby
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Damme
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous