"Andalusia will be free of hepatitis C in two years"

«In Andalusia we are living a very important moment in relation to the elimination of hepatitis C. In 2022 we draw up the Andalusian Plan for the elimination of hepatitis C, which is in the start-up phase and which, in the next two years, will make it possible for Andalusia to be free of HCV. It will make us one of the first communities to achieve this, since this plan is an example for the rest of the communities for being innovative and courageous”, explains Dr.. Marta Casado, president of the Andalusian Society of Digestive Pathology (SAPD).

“A plan that we will see in these conferences and in which, in addition, we will disseminate the main advances in hepatology in recent years, collaborating in training our specialists in hepatology”, continued the expert during the “Innovation in Hepatology” conference, promoted by the University of Seville, the SAPD and Gilead Sciences.

These conferences are included under the framework of the V US-SAPD-GS Hepatology Research Chair, which began in 2017 to address the management of liver diseases and the elimination of viral hepatitis with a multidisciplinary approach, the implementation of strategies comprehensive diagnosis, diagnostic automation and fostering collaboration between healthcare institutions, scientific societies and all healthcare professionals. In the words of Marisa Álvarez, executive director, medical Affairs of Gilead Spain, “part of our corporate responsibility is to collaborate with different institutions, not only in promoting research and innovation, but also in teaching and disseminating scientific knowledge in the field of viral hepatitis. We have been working on it for a long time and we will continue to do so until we achieve the long-awaited elimination.”. In this sense, he underlined the importance of this conference “with which we continue to promote public-private collaboration and our commitment to advance in the management of liver diseases, as well as to promote teaching, research and the dissemination of scientific knowledge in this area.

For his part, Dr.. Manuel Romero, director of the SAPD-US-GS Hepatology Research Chair, recalled that “we are playing a dynamic role in the elimination of hepatitis C, so we are especially excited that these conferences serve as a point of reference in the final attack to achieve the elimination of HCV in our country. Since we are generating the necessary collaboration fabric to achieve this goal”.

“HepCelentes”

During these days, the second call for the HepCelentes Recognitions ceremony was held, being the Guillem De Castro Addictive Behavior Unit of Valencia, the Prevention and Assistance Center for Drug Dependencies (Cedro) of Vigo and the Drug Dependency Center of Almería the three deserving of such a distinction. In addition, during the ceremony, seven new HepCelentes certificates were also delivered, making a total of 25 centers that have completed their accreditation of commitment to the elimination of hepatitis C in Spain.