Within project ‘Innovate, Involve, Inspire: Preventing Hepatitis C Through Community-Led Harm Reduction (HEPC III), led by the Frontline AIDS consortium, Alliance for Public Health (APH) together with MENAHRA is conducting a kickoff training from November 10-14, 2024.

It is especially exciting as this training is preceding a very important intervention – hepatitis C treatment initiation using simplified approach for people who inject drugs in community settings, a study and intervention within UNITAID project, that is deemed to change Hepatitis C responses in 3 project countries. With PWID driving Hepatitis C epidemic globally (23% of new cases related to intravenous drug use) and being severely affected by Hepatitis C (about 50% estimated to be infected globally), yet less than half have ever been tested for Hepatitis C and less than 5% accessing treatment we are working on a very important intervention to bridge this gap of treatment access for the most affected population.

It is a kick off training, as we are about to be starting work in the field the coming month. Sofosbuvir has arrived in Kyrgyzstan and tests will follow. Nigeria will get the medications in December. So we are just a step from reaching out to PWID and initiating community treatment interventions. Therefore the multidisciplinary teams of coordinator, doctors, social workers, researchers are working together to plan the forthcoming intervention.

APH is happy to share the experience of Ukraine in community-based Hepatitis C treatment program, which has provided treatment to 13,000 key population representatives across Ukraine. In this project we are developing the study protocol, supporting the countries in implementation, including through this training, procuring Hepatitis C medications and tests.

This program became possible thanks to the vision, ambition and partnership of Frontline AIDS, UK-based organization of which APH is proud to be a member and that gathered us in partnership and a consortium for this project.

We are holding the training in Cairo, Egypt, for a reason. Egypt was awarded ‘gold tier’ status from WHO on path to elimination of hepatitis C by WHO in 2023. What an inspiration it was to hear from Deputy Minister of Health and Population Dr Mohammad Hassany about the incredible public heath success story that Egypt demonstrated to the world in taking control of Hepatitis C epidemic!

Some lessons of success story in the video!