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National Hepatitis C Prevention Strategy
A Comprehensive Strategy for the Prevention and Control of 
Hepatitis C Virus Infection and its Consequences

Summer 2001

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

On January 22, 1998, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services concurred with the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability and indicated that persons who may have acquired hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection from blood transfusion be identified through lookback notifications, and that other people at risk for HCV infection also should be identified. The Secretary requested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a comprehensive plan to address the prevention and control of HCV infection and its consequences.

The National Hepatitis C Prevention Strategy is CDC’s response to this request, and includes partnerships and coordination with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and other federal, state, and private sector agencies. This CDC strategy serves to protect the public’s health by preventing and controlling HCV infection; enhancing health decisions by providing credible information on hepatitis C; and promoting healthy living through strong partnerships with national, State, and local organizations in both the public and private sectors.

The goals of the National Hepatitis C Prevention Strategy are to lower the incidence of acute hepatitis C in the United States and reduce the disease burden from chronic HCV infection. Achievement of these goals requires: 1) harm reduction programs directed at persons at increased risk for infection to reduce the incidence of new HCV infections; 2) counseling, testing, and medical evaluation and management of infected persons to control HCV-related chronic liver disease; 3) surveillance to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention activities; and 4) research to provide answers to questions pertinent to the prevention and control of hepatitis C.

The principle components of the National Hepatitis C Prevention Strategy are:

  • education of health care and public health professionals to improve the identification of persons at risk for HCV infection and ensure appropriate counseling, diagnosis, medical management, and treatment;
  • education of the public and persons at risk for infection about risk factors for HCV transmission, and the need for testing and medical evaluation
  • clinical and public health activities to identify, counsel, and test persons at risk for HCV infection, and medical evaluation or referral for those found to be infected;
  • outreach and community-based programs to prevent practices that put people at risk for HCV infection, and to identify persons who need to get tested;
  • surveillance to monitor acute and chronic disease trends and evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and medical care activities; and
  • research to better guide prevention efforts.

Hepatitis C prevention activities must be accessible to persons receiving health care services in both the public and private sectors. The most effective means to prevent HCV infection and its consequences is to integrate hepatitis C prevention activities into existing clinical services and public health programs, such as those for the prevention and treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and drug abuse. Similar risk factors place persons at risk for transmission of the major bloodborne viral infections – HIV, HCV, and hepatitis B virus (HBV). Effective implementation of the National Hepatitis C Prevention Strategy should reduce the number of new HCV infections, further reduce other bloodborne virus infections, and prevent the projected increase in chronic liver disease due to hepatitis C.


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