Meeting Report Now Available: Hepatitis C among African Americans

African Americans are among the populations prioritized by the Action Plan for the Prevention, Care, and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis (Action Plan) which outlines steps to educate communities about the benefits of viral hepatitis prevention, care, and treatment as well as actions to enhance healthcare provider knowledge about populations disproportionately impacted. A two-day forum convened by HHS in March 2015 focused on strengthening the response to hepatitis C in African American communities and included participation from over 30 organizations from across the country. The Action Plan is a national plan that requires the participation and engagement of many partners in order to achieve its goals and the newly released forum report includes themes and strategic considerations that all stakeholders can use to address the important health disparity of hepatitis C among African Americans in the United States.

Read the full report from the HHS Forum on Hepatitis C in African American Communities (PDF 8.4MB)

- See more at: https://blog.aids.gov/2015/05/meeting-report-now-available-hepatitis-c-among-african-americans.html#sthash.8N3zjGUp.dpuf

Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinators, a Vital CDC Program Helping to Achieve the Goals of the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan

Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinators (VHPCs) are vital to the implementation of the nation’s Action Plan for the Prevention, Care, & Treatment of Viral Hepatitis, and ultimately, achievement of 3 of the national goals of reducing viral hepatitis transmission and disease:

• Increase the proportion of persons who are aware of their hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection,
• Increase the proportion of persons who are aware of their hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and
• Reduce the number of new cases of HCV infection. 

Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and positioned within state and local health departments, VHPCs serve over 50 jurisdictions around the country including 48 states and several major cities. Because each community is unique, VHPCs evaluate local data to tailor prevention activities for their jurisdictions and seek local partnerships and resources to implement these activities where they are most needed.  Since the program began more than a decade ago, the coordinators have improved the effectiveness of viral hepatitis prevention activities, identifying ways to integrate viral hepatitis prevention vaccination, testing, and linkage to care within existing public health, clinical care, and community settings. A recent report on the VHPC program, “Accomplishments of the Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator Initiative, 2008-2012,” outlines the program, describes the scope of activities, and highlights examples of outcomes. 

- See more at: http://blog.aids.gov/2015/01/viral-hepatitis-prevention-coordinators-a-vital-cdc-program-helping-to-achieve-the-goals-of-the-viral-hepatitis-action-plan.html#sthash.BMDb736x.dpuf