INDIANAPOLIS–A new program will start Tuesday to address the increase of hepatitis C infections in Indiana.
It’s called HepConnect and it’s a multimillion-dollar program that is supposed to last five years. It’s badly needed, according to Derek Spencer, Executive Director with Government Affairs at Gilead Sciences.
“Opiod use costs Indiana an estimated $4.3 billion annually in direct damages and lost productivity and has led to a dramatic increase in hep C infections,” Spencer said.
It’s being done in partnership with the Harm Reduction Coalition, which was selected to lead the effort. The initiative will support evidence-based solutions to meet the needs of people most affected by the opioid crisis in Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
A total of $11.3 million has been dedicated to HepConnect in its first year.
In Indiana, there are about 50,000 people living with hep C. The rise in hep C infections has largely been attributed to opioid use and stigma. Spencer says this program will try to change that.
“It’ll be identifying the local champions, equipping them to serve who is the Hoosiers who need help,” Spencer said.
Indiana saw nearly 300 deaths related to hepatitis C in 2016. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has called the rise in hepatitis C cases an epidemic.
“In the United States, we believe there are about 2.4 million people living with hepatitis C. About 50% of them don’t know that they’ve been exposed to hepatitis C,” Spencer said.
If left untreated, hep C leads to liver failure, liver damage, liver cancer, and even death.
“So this project has three specific arms that it’s trying to reach. One is to expand screening. Second, we want to support harm reduction and the best practices for reducing hep C. Lastly, we want to activate the healthcare infrastructure. We have seen a threefold increase in hep C in Indiana and some of the surrounding region,” Spencer said.
Spencer said this program won’t work without the help of the community.
“Unless we have conversations at work and we’ve got to have conversations at the dinner table, whatever that looks like. If that’s just at the counter with you and your son. If that’s the traditional meal with mom, pop, and grandparents, we’ve got to bring it up. If we love our state, if we love our community, and our family, we’ve got to bring this issue up,” Spencer said.