The elimination of hepatitis C as a global public health threat

This $7 million National Health and Medical Research Council (NHRMC) Program Grant is addressing critical knowledge gaps in Australian and global efforts to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030.

Objective

A combination of research methods are being used observational cohorts, randomised controlled trials, implementation studies, basic science and modelling.

Our work is focusing on, but not confined to, people who inject drugs (PWID), HIV-positive (+ve) gay and bisexual men (GBM), and prisoners.

PWID and incarcerated populations are the key drivers of HCV transmission in Australia and many other countries.

In many low- and middle-income countries the epidemic is driven by unsafe medical procedures in the official and non-official health system.

More recently, in low- and middle-income countries, HIV+ve GBM have been at increased risk of HCV coinfection.

Outcome

The work of this Program Grant has informed national and global strategies on hepatitis C elimination.