Estimating the attributable fraction of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma due to hepatitis B and C.

A goal of the WHO strategy on the elimination of hepatitis as a public threat is a 65% reduction in the attributable mortality. Deaths related to hepatitis B and C infections are mostly due to decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but accurately measuring mortality is challenging as death certificates often do not capture the underlying disease. The aim of this collaborative study between European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) was to assess a WHO-developed protocol to support countries in implementing studies to collect data on the fraction of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma attributable to hepatitis B and C.