Increase access to hepatitis C (HCV) testing and care in drug services — a toolkit

Last updated: 28 July 2021

Supporting the hepatitis C elimination agenda – an EMCDDA toolkit to increase access to testing and care in drug services

People who inject drugs (PWID) are a key population for the elimination of hepatitis C in Europe, and increasing their access to HCV testing and care is a goal in European and national hepatitis C policies. Despite this, HCV testing remains low among people who inject drugs and effective approaches to promote testing as the first element of a cascade of care are particularly needed.

computer simulation of a Hep C virus

Assessing the needs: a step-by-step guide

The EMCDDA developed a step by step guide for those involved in planning and managing infectious diseases and drug services, focusing on how to identify barriers to and opportunities for improving provision of HCV testing and access to treatment for people who inject drugs. It incorporates tools and materials supporting the organisation of a participatory process for identifying actions at the national or local level in order to improve the situation.

Step 1. Assessing the need for HCV testing in drug services
Step 2. Multi-stakeholder consultation to identify barriers and solutions
Step 3. Ensuring monitoring and evaluation

Hepatitis C: new models of care for drug services

The EMCDDA collected 11 case studies documenting how drug treatment and harm-reduction service providers in eight countries are supporting PWID’s access to testing and treatment, using innovative and creative implementation practices and developing new models of care for this important target group.

Hepatitis C: models of care for drugs services in Europe

Knowledge questionnaire and other hepatitis materials

Knowledge questionnaire on viral hepatitis for drug service staff

thumbnail of questionnaireThe EMCDDA Knowledge Questionnaire aims to refresh knowledge on HCV and HBV transmission, testing and care for PWID among those working in drug treatment settings; to increase awareness of staff of the importance of knowing their own status; to provide a tool for managers of drug treatment facilities, or other actors, who would like to identify the training needs of staff.

Some examples of hepatitis materials in different languages
Brochure
Leaflet for drug users
Information for people who use drugs
Information for people who use drugs
Leaflet for drug users
Information for people who use drugs
Paper
Leaflet for drug users
Leaflet for drug users
Poster

Resources

National experiences/practical implementation of the manual

Policy

Epidemiology

Recommendations for practice

EMCDDA publications and resources

More information 

As HCV treatment is now highly effective, the main priority and challenge is to efficiently identify infected individuals to treat. Therefore, this EMCDDA hepatitis toolkit is focusing on hepatitis C testing and care. It aims to support countries in reaching the elimination goal by increasing access of people who inject drugs (PWID) to testing and care through drug services. Building on the framework for response development and implementation presented in the Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide (2017), a set of new materials and tools are being developed under three stages: problem definition, response selection and implementation.

Main subject 

drug-related infectious diseases

Keywords 

drug-related infectious diseases
hepatitis C
preventing infectious diseases

Target audience 

general public
practitioner
researcher
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