Free Hepatitis C Screening and Testing coming to Houston
Eliot Davis, secretary of Houston Viral Hepatitis Task Force, shares what people can expect at The ElimiNATION Awareness Tour. You can attend the event on Wednesday, September 18 at Sunnyside Health and Multi-Service Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or on Saturday, September 21, at The Beacon from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Economic Analysis of National Program for Hepatitis C Elimination, Israel, 2023
“In 2021, the Israel Ministry of Health began a national hepatitis C elimination program. Implementing a World Health Organization goal, Israel’s program involved targeted screening, barrier minimization, workup simplification, awareness campaigns, and a patient registry. We evaluated program costs for testing and treatment. By May 15, 2023, the program had identified 865,382 at-risk persons, of whom 555,083 (64.3%) were serologically screened for hepatitis C virus (HCV), which was detected in 24,361 (4.4%). Among 20,928 serologically positive patients, viremia was detected in 13,379 (63.9%), of whom 10,711 (80%) were treated, and 4,618 (96.5%) of 4,786 persons receiving posttreatment HCV RNA testing had sustained virologic response. We estimated costs of ₪14,426 (new Israel shekel; ≈$3,606 USD) per person whose HCV infection was diagnosed and successfully treated. The program yielded screening and treatment in almost two thirds of the identified at-risk population. Although not eliminated, HCV prevalence will likely decrease substantially by the 2030 target.”
Association between non-injection drug use and hepatitis C infection among HIV-negative men who have sex with men
“Among MSM with non-injection drug use, the subgroup of individuals who were ≥ 42 years of age and used multiple drugs (including heroin, speedball, methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and marijuana) had a high probability of HCV infection. Public health and education programs, as well as drug treatment and rehabilitation programs, should be developed for this high-risk subgroup of individuals to prevent HCV acquisition and transmission.”
Scientists take final key step toward a hepatitis C vaccine
“Scientists have identified the protein complex that gives the hepatitis C virus the ability to bind and infect cells. This bit of cellular knowledge was an ongoing issue in the race to create a hepatitis C vaccine.”
Liver Cancer Screening Improved Survival for Adults Cured of Hep C
“Ongoing liver cancer screening for older people with cirrhosis after they are cured of hepatitis C virus (HCV) leads to improved overall survival rates, according to a Yale School of Medicine study.”
