Moving the Agenda Forward: The Prevention and Management of Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among People Who Inject Drugs

Abstract

The majority of hepatitis C virus (HCV) occurs among people who inject drugs (PWID) [1], and the burden of HCV-related liver disease is still increasing [2]. HCV treatment is safe and effective among PWID [3], and international guidelines encourage HCV treatment in this group [4, 5], but HCV treatment uptake remains low among PWID [6,7], mainly due to patient-, practitioner- and systems-related barriers to care. However, strategies have emerged to improve the prevention and management of HCV infection among PWID. To foster the dissemination of knowledge in the field of viral hepatitis among PWID, the International Network on Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) was established. INHSU established the International Symposium on Hepatitis in Substance Users (held every 2 years), focused on the management of viral hepatitis among PWID, specifically HCV infection. The first symposium was held in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2009 and the second was held in Brussels, Belgium, in 2011. The symposium is attended by researchers, practitioners, and community members and includes sessions on the epidemiology and natural history of viral hepatitis, clinical applications of basic science research, management of medical comorbidities and social science– and community-based perspectives. At the meeting in 2011, a panel of international experts was assembled in collaboration with the European Liver Patients Association to develop the first international recommendations for the management of HCV among PWID. This supplement presents original research from the most recent meeting, highlights recent advances in the field, and presents recommendations for the clinical management of HCV infection among PWID.