Project Title: Integrated Viral Hepatitis Surveillance and Prevention Funding for Health Departments
Applicant Organization Name: South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC)
Address: 2100 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Project Director Name: Ali Mansaray, Director STD/HIV/Viral Hepatitis Division, Bureau of Communicable Disease Prevention and Control
Contact Phone Numbers (Voice, Fax): 803-898-0625, 803-898-0573
Email Address: mansarab@dhec.sc.gov
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to establish integrated viral hepatitis programs in health departments to 1) expand jurisdictional surveillance for acute hepatitis A, B, and C; perinatal hepatitis C; and chronic hepatitis B and C, and 2) facilitate the development and implementation of viral hepatitis elimination plan. Increased access to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of viral hepatitis B and C, HIV, bacterial, and fungal infectious disease consequences of drug use among PWID in settings disproportionately affected by drug use.
Funding:
DHEC is requesting $200,000 to implement Component 1 and $420,807 to implement the proposed activities under Component 2. The funding request for Component 3 is $300,000, to implement a bundle of services to enhance access and comprehensive services for PWID.
Project Summary
Component 1
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) aims to integrate viral hepatitis surveillance and prevention programs by expanding the surveillance activities for acute and chronic Hepatitis A, B, and C, perinatal hepatitis, and outbreak response planning.
Component 2
The prevention program plans to develop a viral hepatitis elimination plan with stakeholders involvement, increase HBV and HCV testing to reduce HBV and HCV infections, increase linkage to care, monitor client treatment, and the number of clients achieving a sustained virologic response. Implementing these strategies and evidence-based interventions will be through a collaborative effort with multiple stakeholders and ongoing partnerships. Provide training for healthcare providers to treat clients for hepatitis B and C.
Component 3:
DHEC plans to expand a hospital emergency department’s capacity to screen all patients for substance abuse disorder (SUD) and opioid abuse disorder (OUD), presenting to the emergency room by modifying the electronic health record. Patients identified with SUD or OUD will be tested for HCV and HIV. Based on the test result, patients are linked to a provider that serves PWIDs and a bundle of services to mitigate or prevent the health effects from substance use or inject drug use.