Kirby Institute Evaluation funding for testing
with chronic hepatitis, a prevalence of 0.091%. During the universal screening period, 85 women were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C, a prevalence of 0.68%. It wasn’t possible to link to infant health records in this study, so the researchers estimated the number of infant hepatitis C cases based on a published transmission rate of 5.8%. They estimate that one infant with hepatitis C would have been identified as a result of risk-based screening of mothers, compared with five as a consequence of universal screening. “Universal screening resulted in a 7.5-fold increase in the detection of chronic hepatitis C,” Dr Chappell concluded. To establish a successful test-and-treat strategy for hepatitis C in pregnancy, universal screening during pregnancy needs to be accompanied by substance use treatment and hepatitis C treatment, she said. Australia does not routinely screen for HCV during pregnancy, and this research suggests changing this would be valuable. v Keith Alcorn Infohep
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rofessor Jason Grebely, head of the Kirby Institute’s Hepatitis C and Drug Use Research Group was awarded $1,498,085 for research to evaluate a national testing program for hepatitis C. “Testing and treatment of hepatitis C is hampered by current health service pathways which require multiple healthcare visits. People living with hepatitis C are some of Australia’s most marginalised populations, and so it’s vital we reduce the barriers to accessing testing and treatment services,” said Professor Grebely in a statement announcing the grant. “Our team has previously evaluated a new test for detection of active hepatitis C infection in one hour, called a point-of-care test, which enables same-visit diagnosis
and treatment. This test is now approved in Australia and has changed how testing and treatment can be delivered.” The Partnership Project will evaluate a national program funded by the Australian government to scale-up point-of-care hepatitis C testing in Australia. The project leverages considerable cash contributions from government ($6.7 million), and from other partners ($670,000 from Gilead and $1.9 million in tests and equipment from Cepheid). “We are in a unique position in Australia to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C. This funding will enable us to track and evaluate the program’s implementation, facilitating further scale-up of testing in Australia, and overseas.” v
March 2023 • HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 93
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