Urgent action to fight hepatitis C in people who inject drugs in Europe

Urgent action to fight hepatitis C in people who inject drugs in Europe

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, is curable in most people. Injecting drug use currently accounts for 80 % of new HCV infections with a known transmission route in the European Union (EU). HCV has generally received little attention from the public or policymakers in the EU, with major gaps in national-level strategies, action plans, guid...

to new hepatitis C therapies for people who inject drugs

Hepatitis C virus vaccines among people who inject drugs.

Most people who inject drugs (PWID) are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), and PWID have the highest risk of HCV infection of any risk group. The incidence of HCV infection is 5%-25% per year, demonstrating continued need for HCV infection prevention in PWID. Existing data in chimpanzees and PWID suggest that protective immunity against persistent HCV infection is achievable. Due to the hig...

Treatment as prevention: the breaking of taboos is required in the fight against hepatitis C among people who inject drugs.

H igh prevalence and incidence rates contrast starkly with low detection and treatment uptake rates and that makes the hepatitis C epidemic among people who inject drugs (PWID) a serious public health issue. In expectance of new interferon (IFN)-free hepatitis C treatment regimens, Martin et al. present, in this issue of HEPATOLOGY, mathematical model calculations on an approach that is already...

Antiviral Treatment to Prevent Transmission of Hepatitis C in People Who Inject Drugs

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is common among people who inject drugs (PWID) and causes significant morbidity and mortality. Opiate replacement therapy and needle exchange programs have effectively prevented the transmission of the Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but have been less effective for HCV. Other HCV prevention strategies are needed. Antiviral therapy with all oral direct acting anti...