Global project aiming to 'break down' hepatitis C

On World Hepatitis Day, Burnet Institute is actively supporting this year’s theme – ‘Let’s Break It Down’ – through our partnership in a global program to develop high-quality approaches to testing and treatment in community settings that are fit for purpose.

The focus for ‘Let’s Break it Down’ is the dismantling of financial, social, and systemic barriers to hepatitis elimination and liver cancer prevention, including stigma.

The 2025 World Hepatitis Day theme also emphasises the need for urgent action to address these challenges and accelerate progress towards a hepatitis-free future.

These very ambitions underpin the CUTTS HepC Project, which aims to increase the uptake of curative hepatitis C treatments for people who inject drugs in low- and middle-income countries by simplifying testing and treatment pathways.

Led by the Médecins du Monde Consortium, the project is being implemented in Georgia, Armenia and Tanzania, with Burnet partnering to develop and deliver the research component.  

The project’s core goal is to embed hepatitis C testing and treatment within harm reduction programs while piloting two innovative and underused tools – low-dead space syringes (LDSS) and long-acting buprenorphine to reduce injecting-related risks, shape markets and expand access.

Burnet Institute’s Head of Public Health, Professor Mark Stoové, said the project puts affected communities at the centre of service design and innovation.

“This project has already had a transformative effect on global advocacy and research with communities of people who use drugs,” Professor Stoové said.

The CUTTS HepC Project components comprise:

• The trial of a simplified, same-day testing and treatment model to streamline care and reduce diagnostic and treatment delays
• An assessment of community preferences, uptake, and the impact of LDSS distribution on reducing HIV and hepatitis C transmission, and
• In Tanzania, the study will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of long-acting buprenorphine to support future scale-up and pricing strategies. 

Burnet Deputy Director, Programs, Professor Margaret Hellard AM said the findings will feed into national and global policies and guidelines, while supporting broader harm reduction strategies and market access through demand generation and price negotiation.

“This is a major piece of work that will have global impact,” Professor Hellard said.