Barriers to and impacts of hepatitis C treatment among people who inject drugs in Kenya: A qualitative study.

Hepatitis C (HCV) disproportionately affects people who inject drugs (PWID). Despite availability of safe and effective treatment, HCV treatment access and uptake among PWID in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been limited. Understanding the lived experiences of PWID in these settings who have undergone treatment provides the opportunity to gain insight into how to implement treatment programs that meet the needs of this population.

Influence of polysubstance use on the health-related quality of life among people who inject drugs undergoing opioid agonist treatment following treatment for hepatitis c virus.

Background: Treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) in people who inject drugs (PWID) has been associated with increased health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Polysubstance use (PSU) is common among PWID, but no studies have investigated PSU influence on PWID's HRQOL HCV treatment.

Methods: Participants included 150 PWID receiving HCV treatment at opioid agonist treatment clinics in Bronx, NY.

Out of sight, into mind: a socioecological model-informed qualitative study on barriers and facilitators to hepatitis B care among West African immigrants in the Bronx, New York.

Background: There is a high burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in West Africa. Over the past 20 years, West African immigration to the United States (U.S.

Perceived patient navigator services and characteristics to address barriers to linkage to hepatitis C care among people released from provincial prison in Quebec, Canada.

Background: Patient navigation increases linkage to hepatitis C virus (HCV) care following release from prison; however, little is known about the services patient navigators should provide to maximize linkage to care. We aimed to identify perceived barriers and facilitators to linkage to HCV care post-release, and to determine patient navigator services and characteristics best suited to address barriers to linkage to care among people released from prison.

Methods: Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult (age ≥18 years) men living with chronic HCV, released from the largest Quebec provincial prison, and linked to HCV care by a patient navigator.

Four Models of Wastewater-Based Monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 Complementing Individual Screening in Jail Settings.

To describe 4 unique models of operationalizing wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in jails of graduated sizes and different architectural designs. We summarize how jails of Cook County, Illinois (average daily population [ADP] 6000); Fulton County, Georgia (ADP 3000); Middlesex County, Massachusetts (ADP 875); and Washington, DC (ADP 1600) initiated WBS between 2020 and 2023. Positive signals for SARS-CoV-2 via WBS can herald a new onset of infections in previously uninfected jail housing units.

Distrust in the Health Care System and Adherence to Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy among People with Hepatitis Who Inject Drugs.

This study is a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial (October 2013-April 2017) involving 150 People Who Inject Drugs (PWIDs) with hepatitis (HCV) seen in opioid agonist treatment programs in the Bronx, New York, and investigates the impact of distrust in the healthcare system on adherence to Direct-Acting Antivirals (DAAs) HCV treatment therapy among PWIDs. The distrust was scaled on a 9-item instrument and the adherence to DAA medications was measured using electronic blister packs. This study demonstrated a significant inverse relationship between levels of distrust and medication adherence: 71.

Widespread hepatitis C virus transmission network among people who inject drugs in Kenya.

Objectives: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) disproportionately affects people who inject drugs (PWID) worldwide. Despite carrying a high HCV burden, little is known about transmission dynamics in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: We recruited PWID from Nairobi and coastal cities and towns of Mombasa, Kilifi, and Malindi in Kenya at needle and syringe programs.

Dynamic contact networks of residents of an urban jail in the era of SARS-CoV-2.

Background: In custodial settings such as jails and prisons, infectious disease transmission is heightened by factors such as overcrowding and limited healthcare access. Specific features of social contact networks within these settings have not been sufficiently characterized, especially in the context of a large-scale respiratory infectious disease outbreak. The study aims to quantify contact network dynamics within the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia.

Guiding the Implementation of Wastewater-based Surveillance for Carceral Infection Control with Perspectives from People with Lived Experience of Incarceration during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Little guidance exists on best practices for implementing and sustaining wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) for SARS-CoV-2 in carceral settings. To ensure alignment with priorities of stakeholders, we aimed to understand the perspectives of persons with lived experience (PLE) of jail who were incarcerated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic on infection control.

Methods: We recruited two PLE at each of four jails: Cook County (IL), Fulton County (GA), Middlesex County (MA), and Washington DC.

National HIV and HCV Screening Rates for Hospitalized People who Use Drugs Are Suboptimal and Heterogeneous Across 11 US Hospitals.

Background: To end the HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemics, people who use drugs (PWUD) need more opportunities for testing. While inpatient hospitalizations are an essential opportunity to test people who use drugs (PWUD) for HIV and HCV, there is limited research on rates of inpatient testing for HIV and HCV among PWUD.

Methods: Eleven hospital sites were included in the study.

Correlation of SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater and Individual Testing Results in a Jail, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Institution-level wastewater-based surveillance was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, including in carceral facilities. We examined the relationship between COVID-19 diagnostic test results of residents in a jail in Atlanta, Georgia, USA (average population ≈2,700), and quantitative reverse transcription PCR signal for SARS-CoV-2 in weekly wastewater samples collected during October 2021‒May 2022. The jail offered residents rapid antigen testing at entry and periodic mass screenings by reverse transcription PCR of self-collected nasal swab specimens.

Barriers and advocacy needs for hepatitis C services in prisons: Informing the prisons hepatitis C advocacy toolkit.

Background: Carceral settings are a key focus of the 2030 WHO global hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination goals. Despite this, access to HCV testing and treatment services in prisons remains low globally, limiting opportunities to achieve these goals. Advocacy efforts are needed to address service inequities and mobilise support for enhanced HCV programs in prisons globally.

Treating Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Jails as an Offset to Declines in Treatment Activity in the Community, New York City, NY, 2014-2020.

Introduction: There are scant data on implementation of large-scale direct-acting antiviral treatment for hepatitis C virus in jails in the U.S. New York City Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services aimed to scale up hepatitis C virus treatment in the New York City jail system.

Mitigation through on-site testing & education among formerly incarcerated individuals against Covid-19 - The MOSAIC study: Design and rationale.

Background: Many of the largest COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States have occurred at carceral facilities. Criminal legal system (CLS)-involved individuals typically face structural barriers accessing medical care post-release. Improving COVID-19 testing and education for CLS-involved individuals could improve health outcomes for this vulnerable population and the communities to which they return.

Dynamic Contact Networks of Residents of an Urban Jail in the Era of SARS-CoV-2.

Background: In custodial settings such as jails and prisons, infectious disease transmission is heightened by factors such as overcrowding and limited healthcare access. Specific features of social contact networks within these settings have not been sufficiently characterized, especially in the context of a large-scale respiratory infectious disease outbreak. The study aims to quantify contact network dynamics within the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, to improve our understanding respiratory disease spread to informs public health interventions.

Estimates of Hepatitis C Seroprevalence and Viremia in State Prison Populations in the United States.

Background: Prior studies demonstrate that eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States (US) heavily depends on treating incarcerated persons. Knowing the scope of the carceral HCV epidemic by state will help guide national elimination efforts.

Methods: Between 2019 and 2023, all state prison systems received surveys requesting data on hepatitis C antibody and viremic prevalence.

Eliminating hepatitis B vaccination disparities for West African immigrants.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic in West Africa. There has been a significant increase in the Bronx West African (WA) community. To achieve HBV elimination, vaccination of non-immune individuals is important.

HIV testing in jails: Comparing strategies to maximize engagement in HIV treatment and prevention.

Despite 15,000 people enter US jails yearly with undiagnosed HIV infection, routine HIV testing is not standard. Maximizing the yield and speed of HIV testing in short-term detention facilities could promote rapid entry or re-entry of people living with HIV (PLWH) into care. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of third generation, rapid point-of-care (rPOC) vs.

Clinician Perspectives for Mental Health Delivery Following COVID-19 in Carceral Settings: A Pilot Study.

We aimed to understand clinician perspectives on mental healthcare delivery during COVID-19 and the utility of tele-mental health services in carceral settings. A survey was administered in November 2022 through the American College of Correctional Physicians listserv. A nationwide sample of 55 respondents included 78.

Opinions of former jail residents about self-collection of SARS-CoV-2 specimens, paired with wastewater surveillance: A qualitative study rapidly examining acceptability of COVID-19 mitigation measures.

In year one of the COVID-19 epidemic, the incidence of infection for US carceral populations was 5.5-fold higher than that in the community. Prior to the rapid roll out of a comprehensive jail surveillance program of Wastewater-Based Surveillance (WBS) and individual testing for SARS-CoV-2, we sought the perspectives of formerly incarcerated individuals regarding mitigation strategies against COVID-19 to inform acceptability of the new program.

Access to Hepatitis C Treatment during and after Incarceration in New Jersey, United States: A Qualitative Study.

Despite effective antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV), people who are incarcerated and those returning to the community face challenges in obtaining HCV treatment. We aimed to explore facilitators and barriers to HCV treatment during and after incarceration. From July-November 2020 and June-July 2021, we conducted 27 semi-structured interviews with residents who were formerly incarcerated in jail or prison.