Thursday, April 25, 2024
4/25/2024
New Mexico Integrated Viral Hepatitis Surveillance and Prevention Program New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Proposal to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) under CDC-RFA-PS21-2103 ABSTRACT New Mexico has one of the highest rates of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the nation. As the most common infectious disease, HCV causes significant liver disease and disability to persons across the state. The state has also experienced an outbreak of hepatitis A in 2018 among persons experiencing homelessness and those who inject substances, centered in Albuquerque. New Mexico has conducted comprehensive planning related to HCV for almost 20 years, with a consistent focus on engaging stakeholders, providers and persons from communities disproportionately impacted by the disease. Planning work has evolved into the current New Mexico Hepatitis C Elimination Collaborative, which has representation from state agencies, health care providers, Project ECHO, tribal advocates, and other affected communities. This Collaborative was strengthened in July 2019 when the National Governor’s Association (NGA) hosted a learning lab on “State Strategies for Addressing Infectious Diseases Related to Substance Use”. While the high rates of HCV in a largely rural and frontier state with significant health care professional shortage areas seem like a daunting challenge, the silver lining is that it has led New Mexico to be a leader and innovator in the response to viral hepatitis overall and HCV in particular. New Mexico is uniquely positioned to detect and respond to outbreaks of hepatitis A and B and be among the first to eliminate HCV as a public health threat by 2030 due to decades of planning and program development. With a strong background in program planning and implementation for hepatitis surveillance and prevention, as well as a statewide network of comprehensive harm reduction program sites, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) is perfectly positioned and prepared to implement all three components of PS21-2103 with little to no start-up time or development of new collaborative partnerships. Component 1: The HIV and Hepatitis Epidemiology Program (HHEP) in the NMDOH Epidemiology and Response Division (ERD) will improve viral hepatitis reporting in several ways that will enhance detection of acute cases and outbreaks, while better describing the demographic profile of hepatitis A, B and C in the state so that surveillance data can be used for program planning and evaluation. Component 2: The Hepatitis and Harm Reduction Program (HHRP) will continue to convene the New Mexico HCV Elimination Collaborative to complete the state’s elimination plan and monitor strategies and progress towards the ambitious goal of eliminating HCV as a public health threat in the state by 2030. Component 3: New Mexico’s comprehensive harm reduction program sites offer the perfect venue for service expansion to respond to the infectious disease consequences of drug use. Services will be expanded with new sites, expended services and active navigation into medical care, and new relationships with probation and parole to serve individuals who might be reluctant to utilize SSP and health services.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
