The National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination are co-hosting a webinar, “Hepatitis C in the Context of Drug Use; State-of-the-Art Diagnostic and Pathogenic Efforts,” on July 22, 2024, from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET, as part of the NIH Research Advancing Hepatitis Elimination Webinar Series.

According to the NIH, addressing the hepatitis C epidemic among persons who inject drugs is an essential component of achieving the World Health Organization (WHO)’s elimination targets for viral hepatitis by 2030. People who inject drugs often lack adequate access to hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment, and their numbers are rising. A recent US estimate suggests 3.69 million persons injected drugs in 2018, three times the 2011 estimate.

ASPPH is advocating for the new United States National Hepatitis C Elimination Initiative through our fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations priorities and has been co-leading advocacy efforts to support this federal funding via a coalition of medical and public health organizations. We are also working closely with the former NIH Director, Dr. Francis Collins, who is leading this initiative for the White House.