|
|
Learning Objective:
By the end of this 90 minute workshop participants should be able to:
Describe five ways that public health and communities can form partnerships for hepatitis prevention
Discuss the five methods for overcoming barriers to forming community partnerships
Background:
Working in partnership with state, local and community level public health officials, communities have implemented hepatitis prevention activities including prevention education, hepatitis C counseling and testing, hepatitis A and B vaccination, and referral services.
Setting:
Communities at risk for hepatitis C
Population e.g. API Youth, MSM, IDU:
Injection drug users
Project Description:
At the state level, in 2004, New Mexico which has at least 32,000 residents with hepatitis C and has the highest rate in the country for mortality due to cirrhosis and liver disease, formed the New Mexico Hepatitis C Alliance and released A Vision and Strategy: Hepatitis C in New Mexico. Catalyst Champions provide leadership and guidance for implementation. At the local level, Tucson has the only syringe exchange program in Arizona. Called Life Point, the program provides hepatitis C counseling and testing, hepatitis A and B vaccination, and has distributed over 600,000 syringes to over 28,000 clients and has referred more than 2,000 clients to drug treatment since it began in 1996. At the community level, the South Bronx which has one of the highest reporting rates for hepatitis C in New York City has responded by forming a task force to work with the city hepatitis C coordinator to identify and implement strategies for hepatitis prevention.
Results/Lessons Learned:
Public health and communities are responding to rising rates of hepatitis C by forming partnerships for planning and implementation of hepatitis C prevention interventions that are responsive to the needs of their communities.
See more of D5 - Developing State and Local Partnerships
See more of The 2005 National Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference