Croatian parliament accepts resolution on viral hepatitis

Hepatos is pleased to announce that MP's on 22/05/2009 at the 11th meeting of Croatian Parliament unanimously accepted proposed Resolution of Parliament Committee for Health and Social Welfare on fight against viral hepatitis.

It was the first health resolution accepted in Croatia. The resolution equals condition for diagnosing and treatments in all of the Counties; includes NGO's into treatment, gives right on employment to all hep patients, enrolls local communities in fight against the disease. It's stressed that reporting of viral hepatitis occurrences in primary health care and hospitals should be improved. Blood testing should also be improved by incorporating new techniques accepted in the EU.

We thank prof Andrija Hebrang and especially prof Rajko Ostojic for recognizing the importance of this problem, and our years-long efforts spiced with many hours of volunteers' work, by inserting it in the Parliament's schedule.

On 10/03 2009 19th was held a meeting of the Croatian Parliament Committee for Health and Social Welfare “Problem of viral Hepatitis in the Republic of Croatia“ where they accepted a proposal of the Resolution. Among other participants there was our president as well, who while thanking them for recognizing the importance of this problem pointed that it was the Hepatos that started the debate on presence of this disease in the RC, and on quality of care for the ill, till then exceptionally neglected group.

As the first Croatian association that started an open debate on quality of care for the ill with hepatitis, we continuously advocated and lobbied for this National Strategy on Fights against viral Hepatitis. Every year we used to write to MP's on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day.

Last year, we sent to the Parliament committee a call for the voting for the Declaration that was adopted by the EU Parliament in 2007, and initiated creating of the National Program for Prevention, Diagnostics and Treatment of Hepatitis.

On the Occasion of the World Health Day on 07th April 2008 with a support from Referral Centres of MZSS for chronic diseases of the liver and RC for diagnostics and viral hepatitis treatments we organized a round table, and sent 12 demands for support of the global initiative for putting viral hepatitis under control and improvement of status of the ill with that disease in the Republic of Croatia.