Funding woes slow efforts to eliminate hepatitis C

Eliminating hepatitis C by 2030, in line with a World Health Organization goal, is inextricably linked to improving harm reduction programs for people who inject drugs since shared needles are the major cause of new infections. But both efforts are plagued by issues around barriers to accessing treatment, including a lack of funds that particularly affects low- and middle-income countries.

At the annual International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users or INHSU last week in Geneva, researchers identified some immediate opportunities to reduce barriers to access and harness some recent successes to build political momentum to improve these efforts.

There is still a need to “create political will to drive policy change and investment into this space,” Jason Grebely, an epidemiologist who serves as INHSU president, told Devex.