How far are we? Assessing progress in hepatitis C response towards the WHO 2030 elimination goals by the civil society monitoring in 25 European countries, period 2020 to 2023.

Background: With the advent of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) the World Health Organisation (WHO) adopted global strategy to eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by 2030. In Europe, people who inject drugs (PWID) account for the majority of new cases, however testing and treatment remain suboptimal. The aim was to monitor progress in HCV policy and cascade-of-care for PWID, led by the civil society organisations (CSO) that provide harm reduction services for PWID across Europe.

Reframing Dutch drug policies: a new era for harm reduction.

In this article the authors offer their perspective on the changes in the Dutch harm reduction field. From the 1970s to the 1990s, the Netherlands emerged as a leader in harm reduction services, driven by grassroots movements like the Medisch-sociale Dienst Heroïne Gebruikers (MDHG) (Medisch-sociale Dienst Heroïne Gebruikers (MDHG) translates to Medical-Social Service Heroin Users in English) in Amsterdam and Junkiebond in Rotterdam. These organisations advocated for health-centred policies, initiated needle exchange programmes, and created safe consumption spaces.

Using a Health Information Exchange to Characterize Changes in HIV Viral Load Suppression and Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City.

Background: HIV viral suppression requires sustained engagement in care. The COVID-19 pandemic challenged care accessibility for many people living with HIV (PLWH). We used health information exchange data to evaluate the effect of pandemic-related disruptions in HIV care on viral load suppression (VLS) and to examine racial/ethnic disparities in VLS.

Hierarchical Concept Relations Improve Detection of Off-Label Drug Use in Electronic Health Records Data.

Real-world clinical practice commonly veers from formal drug approvals in off-label use, accounting for 21% of prescriptions for common drugs. Due to its ad hoc nature, off-label use typically goes undocumented, evading the safety and efficacy scrutiny of clinical trials. A systematic and automated approach to detection of these uses in the electronic health record (EHR) would enable improved safety monitoring, provide insight into prescribing patterns, and support real-world evidence appraisal.