Institute of Public Health to participate in project on reducing burden of viral hepatitis in migrant and refugee populations

13 May 2026

Public Health

The Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Institute of Public Health is one of the partners in the international HEP-HOP project (The Health Equity Programme: Hepatitis Outreach for Migrant Populations), which aims to improve health literacy among migrants and refugees on viral hepatitis B and C (HBV and HCV), promote timely diagnosis, enhance access to viral hepatitis related healthcare, and implement targeted prevention and health promotion measures, thereby reducing both the prevalence of viral hepatitis and the associated health inequalities within migrant and refugee populations.

Key facts

Project involves three European Union (EU) member states: Belgium, Latvia, and Spain
Project implementation period: from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2028
Total project funding over three years is EUR 832,400 where EUR 66,166 is allocated to Latvia

Why this is important

HBV and HCV remain a significant public health issue, as these infections often progress undiscovered, asymptomatic for long periods of time. For this reason, people often seek medical care at a late stage, when they are already suffering from liver damage, including cirrhosis or liver cancer. The HEP-HOP project is particularly important because it is specifically tailored at migrant and refugee populations, who, due to structural burdens, often experience limited access to healthcare, such as timely viral hepatitis prevention, including screening, vaccination, and treatment.

In the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA), more than 50 million people are born outside their country of residence, and a significant proportion come from countries with higher prevalence rates of HBV and HCV. It is estimated that the prevalence of viral hepatitis B among migrants in the EU/EEA reaches 6 %, while that of viral hepatitis C is 2.3 %. These rates are significantly lower in the general population, at 0.9 % and 0.75 % respectively.

What HEP-HOP will do

The HEP-HOP project will assess the availability of healthcare and preventive measures for migrant and refugee populations in participating countries. The project will also address issues related to vaccine disinformation, misinformation, and hesitancy to strengthen the prevention of HBV and HCV in Belgium, Latvia, and Spain.

The project will investigate individual and structural burdens to the prevention of HBV and HCV, including screening and vaccination, with each project partner country conducting both interviews and focus groups to explore the experiences and needs of migrants and refugees, to administer surveys among migrants and refugees, and to assess their health literacy.

‘The HEP-HOP project will provide an opportunity to better understand the burdens that migrant and refugee communities face in the prevention and timely diagnosis of HBV and HCV, as well as in receiving healthcare services. Our goal is to develop evidence-based solutions that would help improve access to healthcare and reduce inequalities,’ says Assoc. Prof. Dr. med. Sandra Dudareva of the RSU Institute of Public Health.

RSU contribution to HEP-HOP

As part of the project, RSU will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current situation and needs regarding access to healthcare and preventive services among migrant and refugee Institute of Public Health to participate in international project on reducing burden populations. The project will identify structural and individual burdens and potential solutions to improve access for HBV and HCV screening and viral hepatitis B vaccination, as well as to promote health literacy among migrant and refugee populations. This will help lay the grounds for future viral hepatitis B vaccination and early diagnosis programmes for HBV and HCV based on scientific evidence.

As a result of the project, a report will be prepared on the individual and structural burdens affecting access to HBV and HCV screening, viral hepatitis B vaccination, and health literacy among migrant and refugee populations. In addition, a set of practical recommendations to reduce these burdens will be developed.