European Launches New Toolkit to Combat Hepatitis in Prisons

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has introduced a comprehensive new toolkit aimed at eliminating hepatitis B and C within prison settings across Europe. This initiative emphasizes the principle of 'equivalence of care,' ensuring that incarcerated individuals receive health services comparable to those available to the general population. Prisons often exhibit higher rates of viral hepatitis due to increased exposure to risk factors such as injecting drug use, unsafe tattooing, piercing practices, sharing razors, and unprotected sex.

Addressing viral infections in prisons is crucial because many inmates experience multiple incarcerations and cycle between incarceration and community living. Untreated hepatitis in prisons not only affects individuals but also has broader public health implications, as it can lead to transmission in the wider community—a concept known as the 'community dividend.'

The toolkit is organized into four main sections: background information, strategy development, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. It offers links to public health guidelines and practical tools for understanding the prison environment, defining elimination strategies, and deploying interventions. Case studies from countries such as Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Luxembourg illustrate successful models of care.

Evidence-based guidance from EUDA and ECDC provides healthcare professionals with actionable strategies to prevent and control viral hepatitis in correctional facilities. The toolkit's insights are also highly relevant for policymakers, security personnel, peer support workers, and voluntary organizations involved in prison health. Upcoming training sessions by EUDA and ECDC will help facilitate effective implementation and service expansion.

This initiative underscores the importance of targeted intervention in high-risk populations to achieve broader public health goals, ultimately reducing the disease burden in both prison and community populations.