Viral Hepatitis Updates from the HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy

Dear Colleague,

The annual United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) takes place this week, beginning Thursday, September 5 through Sunday, September 8. Because roughly one in four people with HIV are coinfected with hepatitis B or C, conversations about ending HIV and optimizing the health of all people with HIV must include viral hepatitis prevention and treatment. USCA has four hepatitis sessions, which make up the “Hepatitis Pathway.” Each session explores a different aspect of the nation’s current hepatitis landscape.

Join the HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy for two of the hepatitis sessions. On Friday morning, during a session titled “Hepatitis Elimination in the Era of Ending the Epidemic,” Carol Jimenez will discuss the intersections between hepatitis and HIV elimination and actions that will contribute to hepatitis elimination. On Friday afternoon, in a session titled “The ACBs of Hepatitis,” speakers will explore trends across the hepatitis alphabet. On this panel, I will review progress on implementing the National Hepatitis Action Plan within the context of current viral hepatitis trends.

Bonus option: I’ll be streaming live video at 11:30 am on Friday, September 6, to share highlights from these conference presentations, the Mapping Hepatitis Elimination project, and how organizations and individuals can contribute to and amplify national efforts. Come to the USCA Hepatitis Pathway sessions or, if you’re not at the conference, catch our live video online!

We look forward to participating in the USCA, discussing the best ways to collaborate with HIV prevention and care partners, and continuing our collective movement toward hepatitis elimination.

Corinna Dan, RN, MPH
Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy
U.S. Department of Health and Human Service

What's New in the Blog

In case you missed them, here’s a quick run down of posts recently published on the HHS Viral Hepatits blog:

Webinar: Syringe Service Programs – State and Local Perspectives on the Role of Policy, Funding, and Partnerships (9/3/2019) – The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health will host a webinar September 16, 2019, at 2 PM ET featuring state & local speakers’ experience with SSPs.
FDA Safety Communication: Hepatitis C Treatments in Some Patients with Advanced Liver Disease (8/29/2019) – FDA provides warnings about rare instances of serious liver injury or failure with certain hepatitis C treatments in some patients with advanced liver disease.
USPSTF Invites Comments on Recommendation on Screening for Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adolescents and Adults (8/28/2019) – The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force has released a draft recommendation statement and evidence review on screening for HCV infection open through Sept 23.
Partners Work to Improve Hepatitis Screening in U.S. Communities (8/23/2019) – This blog highlights some of the important work of community partners to increase hepatitis screening & achieve the goals of the National Action Plan.
Medicare Benefits Include Viral Hepatitis Screening and Vaccination (8/14/2019) – Medicare can help keep you protected from hepatitis B and C, the most common types of viral hepatitis in the United States.

Hepatitis in the News

Taking Immunizations to the Streets to Stop Hepatitis A (8/27/2019) – In response to the recognition that its most at-risk population was also the least likely to see medical attention, the Salt Lake County Health Department developed mobile immunization teams to increase access to hepatitis A vaccines.
Curing Hep C Slashes Risk of Death for Those With Liver Cancer History (8/19/2019) – A new study may resolve controversy over hep C treatment’s association with recurrence of liver cancer, countering previous research that found a correlation between treatment and mortality risk.
CT prisons to start testing for Hepatitis C (8/14/2019) – Connecticut’s Department of Correction announced plans to test and treat inmates for hepatitis C, beginning this fall. While inmates with the greatest medical need for HCV treatment will receive priority attention, the Department of Correction plans to ultimately treat all inmates living with HCV.