ArticleHarm reduction journal2018
Harm reduction and viral hepatitis C in European prisons: a cross-sectional survey of 25 countries.
Article in Harm reduction journal, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A Qualitative Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators to Hepatitis B and C Programmes in Prisons.Journal of viral hepatitis · 2025Pooled it
- Hepatitis C prevalence in incarcerated settings between 2013-2021: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2022Pooled it
- Global prevalence of hepatitis C in prisoners: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of virology · 2022Pooled it
- The Hepatitis C Continuum of Care Among HIV-Positive Persons with Heavy Alcohol Use in St. Petersburg, Russia.AIDS and behavior · 2021Trial
- Article
- Chronic hepatitis C elimination prison initiative: HCV-intensive test and treat, a whole prisoner population HCV test-and-treat program in England.Health science reports · 2023Article
- Reducing barriers to the hepatitis C care cascade in prison via point-of-care RNA testing: a qualitative exploration of men in prison using an integrated framework.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2023Article
- Hepatitis C Screening and Treatment Program in Hungarian Prisons in the Era of Direct Acting Antiviral Agents.Viruses · 2022Article
- The state of harm reduction in prisons in 30 European countries with a focus on people who inject drugs and infectious diseases.Harm reduction journal · 2021Article
- New hepatitis C virus infection, re-infection and associated risk behaviour in male Irish prisoners: a cohort study, 2019.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2021Article
- Identification and treatment of viral hepatitis C in persons who use drugs: a prospective, multicenter outreach study in Flanders, Belgium.Harm reduction journal · 2021Article
- "My first 48 hours out": drug users' perspectives on challenges and strategies upon release from prison.Harm reduction journal · 2021Article
- More evidence or stronger political will: exploring the feasibility of needle and syringe programs in Ukrainian prisons.Harm reduction journal · 2021Article
- Seroprevalence and associated factors of HIV and Hepatitis C in Brazilian high-security prisons: A state-wide epidemiological study.PloS one · 2021Article
- HIPPOCRATESWorld journal of hepatology · 2020Article
- A simple risk-based strategy for hepatitis C virus screening among incarcerated people in a low- to middle-income setting.Harm reduction journal · 2020Article
- The hepatitis C virus in Iran: health policy, historical, ethical issues and future challenges.Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene · 2020Article
- High prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and low level of awareness among people who recently started injecting drugs in a cross-sectional study in Germany, 2011-2014: missed opportunities for hepatitis C testing.Harm reduction journal · 2020Article
- The Hep-CORE policy score: A European hepatitis C national policy implementation ranking based on patient organization data.PloS one · 2020Article
- Hepatitis C models of care: approaches to elimination.Canadian liver journal · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCurrent estimates suggest that 15% of all prisoners worldwide are chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), and this number is even higher in regions with high rates of injecting drug use. Although harm reduction services such as opioid substitution therapy (OST) and needle and syringe programs (NSPs) are effective in preventing the further spread of HCV and HIV, the extent to which these are available in prisons varies significantly across countries.
methodsThe Hep-CORE study surveyed liver patient groups from 25 European countries in 2016 and mid-2017 on national policies related to harm reduction, testing/screening, and treatment for HCV in prison settings. Results from the cross-sectional survey were compared to the data from available reports and the peer-reviewed literature to determine the overall degree to which European countries implement evidence-based HCV recommendations in prison settings.
resultsPatient groups in nine countries (36%) identified prisoners as a high-risk population target for HCV testing/screening. Twenty-one countries (84%) provide HCV treatment in prisons. However, the extent of coverage of these treatment programs varies widely. Two countries (8%) have NSPs officially available in prisons in all parts of the country. Eleven countries (44%) provide OST in prisons in all parts of the country without additional requirements.
conclusionDespite the existence of evidence-based recommendations, infectious disease prevention measures such as harm reduction programs are inadequate in European prison settings. Harm reduction, HCV testing/screening, and treatment should be scaled up in prison settings in order to progress towards eliminating HCV as a public health threat.
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