STATEMENT OF POLICY HEPATITIS VIRUS INFECTION PREVENTION

Control and Prevention (CDC) for funding the establishment of state (and some city) adult viral hepatitis coordinators. NACCHO encourages these viral hepatitis coordinators to participate in local viral hepatitis coalitions and advisory groups to assist in the development of a local viral hepatitis prevention plan, where appropriate or for local representatives to amend their state viral hepatitis plan to meet local needs. However, viral hepatitis prevention, testing, and treatment remains significantly underfunded and NACCHO encourages Congress to appropriate new funds, including health reform funding, and CDC and other public health partners to allocate sufficient and sustained resources in budgets for the development of state and local capacities, with financial and technical support to help to do the following: Develop State and local epidemiologic monitoring, planning and evaluation capacities that can help to create and guide prevention and control programs; Develop local viral hepatitis prevention plans; Identify, evaluate, and create a national clearinghouse for appropriate models of testing, treatment, and education, including those in rural areas; Develop and implement a national awareness campaign targeting the public, providers, and other healthcare workers to increase awareness of hepatitis infection, screening, and treatment; Improve relationships between local health departments (LHDs) and correctional facilities to increase collaboration and coordinated service delivery in order to better understand prevalence of disease; Adequately vaccinate high-risk populations against hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) through outreach and other innovative methods including vaccination in STD clinics and correctional facilities and identify additional funds to vaccinate people who may otherwise not have access to these services; Continue recommended HAV and HBV vaccination for all children; Support public health lab capacity for viral hepatitis testing; and Screen for hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections for those at high risk