News

May 18, 2023

DOH report: Syringe exchange programs crucial to stopping hepatitis C

Jul 31, 2023 The Maui News Syringe exchange programs not only help stop infectious diseases like hepatitis C from spreading through communities but also serve as essential hubs for people who use

Jul 31, 2023

The Maui News

Syringe exchange programs not only help stop infectious diseases like hepatitis C from spreading through communities but also serve as essential hubs for people who use drugs, according to a new report by the state Department of Health.

Previous research has shown that in Hawaii, people diagnosed with hepatitis C may die 20 years earlier than other residents. The disease is especially common among people who use drugs, with more than half of syringe exchange clients infected with hepatitis C at some point in their lifetime, according to a Health Department news release Thursday. Although hepatitis C is curable with well-tolerated, all-oral medication, many people in Hawaii report not seeking treatment.

To better understand hepatitis C treatment barriers, the Health Department conducted interviews with syringe exchange clients in early 2023. The resulting report — “I Wanna Live a Full Life: Perceptions of Hepatitis C Treatment Access among People Who Use Drugs in Honolulu, Hawai’i” — is the first DOH-led research project that centers on the voices of people who use the drugs to guide public health programs, according to the news release.

Based on the interviews, the most important findings from the report include:

• People who use drugs are concerned with health and disease prevention, although their knowledge about hepatitis C varied.

• Co-location of hepatitis C treatment and other services at syringe exchanges is an important opportunity to improve health outcomes.

• People who use drugs respond to visual, directive messaging, especially print materials distributed by syringe exchanges.

• Perceived stigma around substance use and hepatitis C are ongoing barriers to health care.

“The findings of this report reiterate the importance of seeking community voices to ensure effective public health decision-making,” said Diana Felton, chief of the Department of Health Communicable Disease and Public Health Nursing Division. “The voices of local people who use drugs are essential for identifying meaningful opportunities to eliminate hepatitis C in Hawai’i.”

The report was the result of a collaboration between DOH and partners that included Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, Hep Free Hawai’i and the Hawai’i Health and Harm Reduction Center. It also relied on the expertise of local syringe exchange participants.

To read the full report, visit health.hawaii.gov/harmreduction/people-who-use-drugs-talk-about-hep-c/.

For local hepatitis C screening and immunization resources, or for information on the campaign to eliminate viral hepatitis across the state by 2030, visit www.hepfreehawaii.org.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Maui Police have identified the third person who was killed in a two-car crash early Wednesday morning as ...

The Maui County Department of Agriculture will be featured on the weekly Thursdays with the County radio show at 7 ...

Two travel-related dengue cases have been reported in the state, one on Kauai and the other on Hawaii island, the ...