Tour d'horizon sur les hépatites chroniques B et C dans les départements-régions d'Outre-Mer et collectivités territoriales uniques [Situation of chronic hepatitis B and C in French overseas territories]

The most recent data on prevalence of chronic hepatitis B and C in the French Overseas Territories (FOT) show great variability among these territories with a prevalence rising from 0.46 to 3.4% for HBs Antigen and from 0.02 to 0.67%for anti HCV antibodies. The modes of transmission rely mainly for HBV on sexual or materno-fetal exposure, especially among people from non-French border endemic areas, and for HCV on blood or nosocomial route. Good adhesion of the treating physicians and pediatricians to vaccination has significantly reduced the prevalence of HBV in the ten past years, with an estimated coverage of 75 to 85%depending on the territories. Although there is still a high prevalence of HBV in some FOT, the screening policy and management are based on those carried out inmetropolitan France, which seems insufficient and inadequate to the situation of these territories. Regarding the therapeutic management of HCV, the means attributed to FOT have been identical to those of metropolitan France but the small number of specialist practitioners and remoteness contributed to provision of new molecules later in certain territories. Medical pluridisciplinary sessions have been implemented and based on the universitary or regional hospitals. Copyright © 2017 John Libbey Eurotext.