State-Specific Hepatitis C Virus Clearance Cascades — United States, 2013–2022
“These are the first state-level estimates using CDC guidance and data from a large commercial laboratory with national coverage to generate HCV clearance cascades. These estimates reveal substantial gaps in hepatitis C diagnosis, treatment, and prevention and can help guide prioritization of activities and resources to achieve hepatitis C elimination goals.”
Maine CDC Encourages Steps to Protect Your Health from Hepatitis C
“AUGUSTA– As Hepatitis Awareness Month in May concludes this week, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) is encouraging Maine people to take steps to protect their health from these viral illnesses. The Maine CDC is highlighting new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) screening requirements for hepatitis C. The U.S. CDC now recommends that every adult get tested for hepatitis C at least once in their lifetime, pregnant people get tested during each pregnancy, and everyone with ongoing risk factors get tested regularly. Additionally, infants exposed to hepatitis C during pregnancy and childbirth should be tested for hepatitis C between 2–6 months of age and monitored by a health care provider with hepatitis C expertise until they are eligible to receive treatment at 3 years of age.”
Access to Direct-Acting Antivirals for HCV Improved With Relaxed Medicaid Restrictions
“The use of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection increased after state Medicaid programs eased coverage restrictions, according to study results published in JAMA Network Open.”
Graves County highlighted in new NACo report on harm reduction
“The National Association of Counties (NACo) has published a vital resource titled “Five Questions for Counties Considering Harm Reduction as an Opioid Abatement Strategy,” which provides a comprehensive overview of various harm reduction initiatives implemented by counties across the United States.”
A Homer needle exchange offers safer supplies for rural Alaskans and a bridge to recovery
“In the backroom of a Homer office building on a recent Tuesday, long tables held a buffet of supplies like sterile water, tourniquets, fentanyl test strips and sharps containers. The supplies are part of a bimonthly syringe exchange. Rhonda, who didn’t want to give her last name, walked in and got a big hug from one of the volunteers. She called the exchange a “safe place” and comes regularly for supplies. “People are not judgmental, and they’re just doing it as a service to help people,” Rhonda said. “It could save your life, potentially. Clean supplies are a lot better than dirty ones. Trust me. I know.””
Effectiveness of test-and-treat model with direct-acting antiviral for hepatitis C virus infection in migrants: a prospective interventional study in Italy
“This model of HCV screening and linkage to care seems effective to eliminate HCV infection in a difficult-to-reach and to-treat population, such as undocumented migrants and low-income refugees. The participation of cultural mediators in the study made possible a better interaction between migrants and physicians, as is evident from the large number of subjects enrolled. Eliminating HCV among migrants will have a long-term positive impact from a public health and healthcare perspective by reducing the number of individuals who potentially develop HCV-related complications such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and reducing the circulation of HCV in the regions that host them which often, as in the case of Italy, are low endemic for HCV infection.”
Washington State Plans Reentry Demonstration Initiative
“State’s Health Care Authority receives authorization to distribute up to $303 million in capacity-building funding to eligible carceral facilities.”
