Innovative Partnership to Advance Hepatitis C Elimination in New York State
 

Hepatitis C (HCV) continues to be a public health concern in New York State, despite the availability of curative medications. HCV is a blood-borne virus that affects the liver.  Many people don’t know they have HCV, allowing individuals to continue to transmit the infection. Furthermore, 70% of infected individuals will develop a chronic infection, which is often asymptomatic for many years. If left untreated, this infection can cause liver cirrhosis, liver failure, liver cancer, and even death. Injection drug use is the highest risk factor for HCV, and most new infections are occurring among people who inject drugs (PWID). Yet stigma, discrimination and other structural inequities are significant barriers to care for this population.  Through its HCV Elimination Plan, New York State is working to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health problem by 2030. A key component of this strategy is a partnership with Health Sciences at the University at Albany. Join us to learn more about the NYS HCV elimination initiative and how this unique 7+ year partnership works to identify the successes and challenges of implementing innovative models for HCV screening, diagnosis, and care among PWID.