Tuesday, January 14, 2025
1/14/2025
North Carolina (NC) has higher reported acute hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) rates than the national average (1). It is estimated that there are 150,000 individuals living in NC with HCV, many of which are undiagnosed or lack resources to easy access to care. Our project goal is to continue to improve surveillance, prevention and linkage to care of viral hepatitis to better understand state trends and to provide information for program planning. In this application, we request funding to maintain the viral hepatitis surveillance and prevention staff in order to efficiently and effectively manage our hepatitis in NC. Since 2016, North Carolina Division of Public Health (NC DPH) has hired a surveillance nurse who works with the local health departments (LHD) staff and clinicians to increase case and outbreak reporting and investigation. An epidemiologist was also hired to help monitor the data quality of HBV and HCV case information in the electronic disease surveillance system, and a temporary case registrar was hired during the end of the reporting period. Finally, surveillance for chronic HCV started in NC in 2016. Based on these changes, we have been able to raise the profile of HBV and HCV as priority diseases for local health departments, improve surveillance and data completeness, identify potential outbreaks, and make more information available in reports. These additions have increased the epidemiology and outbreak investigation capacity in the state. NC DPH remains dedicated to development of a comprehensive and integrative Viral Hepatitis Program. NC DPH will continue to fund a viral hepatitis C prevention coordinator. This nurse consultant will continue the work to educate local health departments and the public about the risk of HCV, transmission routes, treatment and cure, and will work to increase the number of people aware of their HCV status and the availability of providers prepared to treat those infected. The NC Viral Hepatitis Program continues to utilize surveillance data to drive partnerships between LHD, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and Communicable Disease staff. The HBV and HCV annual reports are living documents that evolve as more data becomes available. These partnerships will continue to identify new and existing: 1) Settings where HBV and HCV screening and testing is conducted in the LHD and county and could be increased; 2) Community partners working with substance abuse/behavioral health in the county and region; 3) Providers in the region who are treating or desire to treat HCV-infected persons. 4) Linkage for identified providers to the NC Hepatitis Academic Mentorship Program (CHAMP) for training to increase the local linkage to care network; 5) Opportunities for increased HCV screening and testing through the selected health department and emphasis on increase testing in hospitals and commercials labs; and 6) Opportunities to increase the number of HCV-infected persons who complete pre-treatment screening. NC DPH will deploy the NC Viral Hepatitis Program in the highest burden regions to facilitate the following meetings: Viral Hepatitis Task Force Meetings that are utilized to drive a State Viral Hepatitis Plan. An HCV and drug user health resource guide was created for the county and region intended for the community, local health departments, FQHCs, and Community Based Organizations. This resource guide is updated quarterly. NC Viral Hepatitis Program will continue work by increasing the number of individuals at risk who are screened for HCV and are linked to care and expand access to treatment through the NC CHAMP. A special focus will be taken on incorporating perinatal HCV testing and counseling education amongst Obstetrics and Gynecological (OB/GYN) providers, as well as providing streamlined testing to cure services in outreach settings for people who use drugs (PWUD).
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).