The Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act
Synopsis

To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish, promote, and support a comprehensive prevention, research, and medical management referral program for hepatitis C virus infection, to include the following:
EDUCATION AND TRAINING – heightens awareness and enhances knowledge and understanding of Hepatitis C among health care professionals and the public;
HEPATITIS C DISEASE CONTROL – promotes and supports State, local, and tribal programs for voluntary Hepatitis C testing, counseling, and referrals for medical management;
SURVEILLANCE – promotes and supports establishment and maintenance of State Hepatitis C surveillance databases and the conduct of a seroprevalence study to estimate infection trends and identify risk factors and the current and future impact, nationally and regionally, of Hepatitis C;
IMMUNIZATION – provides for vaccination of Hepatitis C Virus infected persons and those with risk factors for Hepatitis C Virus infection against Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, and other infectious diseases, as appropriate;
HEPATITIS C COORDINATORS – provides Hepatitis C Coordinators to State health departments to enhance the additional management, networking, and technical expertise needed to ensure successful integration of Hepatitis C Virus prevention and control activities into existing public health programs
CLINICAL RESEARCH NETWORK – establishes and supports a Hepatitis C Clinical Research Network for the purpose of conducting research related to natural history, epidemiology, prevention and treatment;

INTEGRATION WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS – integrates program elements of the Act into existing state, local, and tribal clinical and public health programs, where appropriate;
UNDERSERVED AND DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED POPULATIONS – implements provisions of the Act so as to promote expanded support for persons with limited access to health education, testing and health care services and groups that may be disproportionately affected by Hepatitis C Virus;
MEDICAL REFERRAL – supports referral of persons infected with or at risk for Hepatitis C Virus for drug or alcohol abuse treatment, where appropriate, and on for ongoing medical management of Hepatitis C Virus; and
LIVER DISEASE ADVISORY BOARD – establishes an Advisory Board to advise and assist the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concerning matters relating to liver disease and to develop a comprehensive plan for the conduct and support of such research, for submission to the National Institutes of Health.

A current draft of the Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act is available on the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council website at: www.hepcnetwork.org.