FitzSimons David W
World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
Vaccine. 2008 Oct 23;26(45):5669-74. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.08.023. Epub 2008 Aug 30.
The Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board and the European Liver Patients Association jointly organized a meeting (Lucca, Italy, 13-14 March 2008) to review the role and impact of patients' organizations and advocacy groups in Europe and the USA on the prevention and control of viral hepatitis. The national and international groups described a wide variety of organizational structures, means of funding, services and activities. Participants reported numerous obstacles and difficulties, ranging from limited funding, weak governmental support and the lack of a high-profile lobby to residual prejudice against people with viral hepatitis and cultural barriers. The groups' experiences formed an impressive list of strengths and achievements, including international and national campaigns, networking, building of excellent relations with the media, support from and respect of professional bodies, greater respect of patients' human rights, improved access to counselling and treatment, and influence on national and international policies. The meeting highlighted opportunities, for example, to complete programmes of immunization against hepatitis B, to convince governments of the economic value of public health interventions, and raise awareness of the value of a healthy liver.
病毒性肝炎预防委员会与欧洲肝病患者协会联合组织了一次会议（2008年3月13日至14日，意大利卢卡），以审查欧洲和美国患者组织及倡导团体在病毒性肝炎预防和控制方面的作用及影响。国家和国际团体介绍了各种各样的组织结构、资金筹集方式、服务及活动。与会者报告了众多障碍和困难，包括资金有限、政府支持薄弱、缺乏有影响力的游说团体，以及对病毒性肝炎患者的残留偏见和文化障碍。这些团体的经验形成了一份令人印象深刻的优势和成就清单，包括国际和国内运动、建立网络、与媒体建立良好关系、获得专业机构的支持和尊重、患者人权得到更多尊重、获得咨询和治疗的机会增加，以及对国家和国际政策产生影响。会议强调了一些机会，例如完成乙型肝炎免疫接种计划、让政府相信公共卫生干预措施的经济价值，以及提高对健康肝脏价值的认识。
