An international conference bringing together hepatitis C experts from around the world is today calling for strategies to prioritise people who use drugs, saying hepatitis C elimination is impossible without them.
"The number of people around the world dying from hepatitis C is increasing. We have the tools to reverse this trend, to eliminate this disease and save millions of lives. But it will not happen until people who use drugs become a focus of our efforts," said Associate Professor Jason Grebely, President of the International Network of Hepatitis C in Substance Users (INHSU), the convenors of the conference.
Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus that if left untreated can result in cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. Globally, there is an estimated 71.1 million people with chronic hepatitis C, resulting in over 700 000 deaths each year and the numbers are increasing. Eight per cent of those living with the disease and almost a quarter of new infections are in people who use drugs.
New, highly effective curative treatments have sparked hope of a world free of hepatitis C. Countries like Australia are currently on track to eliminate the disease as a public health concern by 2026 thanks to a public health strategy that offers treatment to all without restriction, and the prioritisation of people who use drugs. However in the US and many countries globally, hepatitis C testing, linkage to care, and treatment for people who use drugs remain low.
Why treat?
Experts at the 6th International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users say that to be successful, elimination of hepatitis C in people who use drugs requires careful integration with harm prevention programs and linkage to care, as well as a review of policies that drive disease spread.
Research being presented at the conference demonstrates that:
"Access to good quality healthcare should be a basic human right for any person, irrespective of whether they use drugs, " said A/Prof. Grebely. "But when providing this also means we are able to eliminate a disease currently affecting 71 million people around the world, then taking action becomes even more of a moral and public health imperative. We cannot afford to delay any longer."
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ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
The 6th International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users is the leading international conference focused on the management of hepatitis among substance users. It is organized by the International Network for Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU). The symposium has been previously held in Zurich, Brussels, Munich, Sydney and Oslo. The 6th International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users is taking place in New York.
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