Harm reduction is crucial for fighting hepatitis

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Harm reduction is crucial for fighting hepatitis

28 July 2016

July 28th is the World Hepatitis Day. This year’s theme is “Know Hepatitis – Act Now”. In 2016, for the first time in history, the World Health Assembly adopted global targets for viral hepatitis. These targets include reducing hepatitis B and C incidence by 30% and reducing mortality by 10% by 2020. One of the key approaches to reaching these targets is harm reduction services for people who inject drugs.

According to the WHO estimates, 130 to 150 million people globally live with chronic hepatitis С (HCV). HCV epidemic causes an immense damage to public health. Research shows that each year about 700,000 people globally die of HCV related diseases. The epidemic is concentrated in middle and low income countries where about 73% of people with HCV live and where access to treatment is limited.

About 6.6 million people with chronic viral hepatitis C live in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In many countries of the region, key groups are affected the most, including first of all people who use injectable drugs (PUD). In this group HCV prevalence reaches 90%. About 80% of new HCV cases are registered among PUD. Moreover, the spread of hepatitis C among PUD is 10 times the spread of HIV in this key population.

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Thumbnail: Flickr CC Victor

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