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Australia is Making Progress Toward Eliminating Hep C in People Who Inject Drugs
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Hep Editors:
Thanks to a health care system that provides unrestricted access to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV), Australia is making good progress in eliminating the virus among people who inject drugs (PWID).
As described in Clinical Infectious Diseases, researchers conducted an observational study, called the ETHOS Engage study, of PWID attending drug treatment clinics and needle and syringe programs (NSPs) in Australia. The participants received HCV testing and completed a questionnaire that included self-reported hep C treatment history.
Between May 2018 and September 2019, 1,443 participants were enrolled. Sixty-four percent injected drugs during the last month, and 74% were receiving medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder.