Europe is unlikely to meet its target of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 despite years of progress in prevention and treatment, according to a new assessment by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The agency said improvements in vaccination, screening and treatment have reduced infections over the past two decades, but persistent gaps in childhood immunization and prevention programs continue to slow progress across the region.

“No one should die from a disease that is preventable, diagnosable and treatable, yet millions of Europeans are living with chronic hepatitis B or C infections, often without knowing it, which can lead to severe long-term consequences such as liver failure or liver cancer,” said Bruno Ciancio, Head of Unit for Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases at the ECDC.

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are viral infections spread through infected blood or bodily fluids. Both diseases are major causes of chronic liver disease and can result in serious complications, including liver failure and cancer if left untreated.

According to the ECDC, an estimated five million people across Europe are living with chronic hepatitis B or C infections, while around 60,000 people die each year from liver diseases linked to the viruses.

Health officials noted that acute hepatitis B infections have steadily declined since 2006, reflecting the success of long-term vaccination campaigns and public health measures. Among people under the age of 25, the share of acute hepatitis B cases dropped from 11 percent in 2015 to 8 percent in 2024, demonstrating the positive impact of childhood immunization programs.

The report also highlighted progress in preventing transmission from mothers to newborns. Routine hepatitis B screening during pregnancy is now established across all 30 European Union and European Economic Area countries, helping reduce mother-to-child transmission to below 2 percent.

Despite these gains, the ECDC said vaccination coverage remains below international targets in many countries. Only a limited number of nations have achieved the World Health Organization’s goal of fully vaccinating 95 percent of children against hepatitis B, while some countries have reported declining immunization rates in recent years.

The agency also identified shortcomings in efforts to prevent hepatitis C among people who inject drugs. Measures such as opioid agonist treatment and the distribution of sterile needles and syringes have proven effective in reducing transmission, yet only seven countries currently meet the WHO target for providing sterile injection equipment.

Ciancio said the tools needed to control hepatitis already exist, including vaccination against hepatitis B, early testing, infection control measures and treatments that can cure hepatitis C and manage hepatitis B. He stressed that the challenge is ensuring these services are available to everyone who needs them.

The ECDC also pointed to shortcomings in monitoring prevention efforts aimed at reducing sexually transmitted hepatitis infections. While sexual transmission remains a significant route for hepatitis B and hepatitis C is commonly associated with injecting drug use and sex between men, the agency said targeted prevention programs are not being systematically tracked across European countries.

The findings suggest that stronger vaccination efforts, expanded harm reduction services and broader access to testing and treatment will be needed if Europe hopes to move closer to its hepatitis elimination goals in the coming years.

Replacing a natural gas stove with an electric induction model may significantly improve asthma symptoms by reducing indoor air pollution, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University in the United States.

The study found that switching from gas to electric cooking reduced indoor nitrogen dioxide levels by 70 per cent. The decline in pollution was linked to improvements in asthma symptoms among people with poorly controlled asthma.

Natural gas stoves release nitrogen dioxide and other nitrogen oxides when they burn fuel. These pollutants can accumulate indoors and may worsen breathing problems or trigger asthma attacks.

Researchers said the improvements seen after replacing gas stoves were comparable to, and in some cases greater than, those reported in clinical trials of commonly used asthma medicines.

Participants reported fewer breathing difficulties, fewer restrictions on daily activities and less need for rescue inhalers after the change. Emergency room visits and hospitalisations related to asthma also fell by 70 per cent among the participants, while missed days from work or school dropped by about 80 per cent.

The researchers chose electric induction stoves because they heat and cool quickly and are generally easier to clean than traditional electric coil models.

Ashwini Sehgal, a co-author of the study, said the findings suggested that reducing exposure to indoor pollution could play an important role in asthma management.

However, the researchers stressed that changing a stove is not a cure for asthma and may not benefit every patient. People with asthma should continue taking prescribed medication and working with their doctors to manage the condition.

They should also try to reduce exposure to other common triggers, including cigarette smoke, dust mites, pollen and viral respiratory infections.

The cost of replacing a gas stove with an electric model could also prevent some households from making the switch. Researchers said the expense may be particularly difficult for low-income communities.

They suggested that governments or health insurers could consider financial support for households with patients suffering from poorly controlled asthma. The potential cost of replacing stoves could be offset in some cases by reductions in emergency treatment and hospital admissions.

The study involved 85 people with poorly controlled asthma. The research project was initially awarded three years of funding through the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Community Change Grants Program in December 2024.

However, the Trump administration ended the project before the planned completion date, leaving researchers unable to enrol additional participants after May 2025.

The findings add to growing concerns about indoor air quality and the health effects of gas cooking. Researchers said further work would be needed to determine how widely the results apply, but reducing indoor pollution could offer another way to support people managing asthma alongside standard medical treatment.