Viral Hepatitis
Viral hepatitis is a leading public health threat in the United States. Three related viruses—hepatitis A (HAV), B (HBV), and C (HCV)—cause liver inflammation and contribute to liver transplants and cancer, ultimately killing more Americans than any other infectious disease. We have the tools to stop outbreaks of HAV and eliminate HBV and HCV, but social and structural barriers, stigma and discrimination, and insufficient funding for the public health response limit access to hepatitis services. NACCHO works with local health departments to address these challenges and advance the prevention and elimination of viral hepatitis.
Local health departments (LHDs) are leaders in the fight against viral hepatitis and play a key role in moving our nation closer to the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. NACCHO supports local health department efforts to prevent and eliminate viral hepatitis through capacity building, guidance, and advocacy.
Recent Work
Additional Resources
NACCHO’s Hepatitis C Public Health Detailing Kit is a collection of tools and resources to support local health departments in implementing public health detailing as a strategy to increase healthcare provider awareness and uptake of effective practices for HCV screening, diagnosis, and linkage to care and treatment. Public health detailing is a provider education method that includes visiting local provider sites to deliver brief trainings or presentations and distribute tools and resources to support uptake of best practices and patient education.
NACCHO’s online educational series covers topics across the hepatitis C virus (HCV) care continuum from prevention to cure. The series highlights the roles for local health departments across the continuum and shares examples of successful strategies for expanding and strengthening HCV programs and services. Each module in the series includes pre-recorded lectures, discussion guides, resources, and tools.
Recent data indicate that there has been an increase in the rate of new hepatitis B infections in the U.S., which many largely attribute to increasing injection drug use. To address this, Hep B United and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) hosted a three-part webinar series on local strategies to eliminate hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections.
Stories from the Field provides a means for local health departments to share their experiences and demonstrate the value of public health.
To be featured on our blog or other NACCHO communications, email Kat Kelley (she/her) at kkelley@naccho.org with an overview of your idea or program! Visit Stories From the Field to access more stories.
NACCHO’s Model Practices Program nationally honors and recognizes outstanding local public health practice and shares the outstanding practices through the Model Practices Database. By submitting a practice, LHDs contribute to the overall improvement of public health through effective evidence-based practice methods.
Model Practices are awarded to local health departments across the country for implementing programs that demonstrate exemplary and replicable outcomes in response to an identified public health need. Promising Practices are exciting approaches and strategies to local public health issues that are on track to becoming Model Practices. Each awarded practice was reviewed by a committee of peers, made up of other local health department professionals, and selected from a competitive collection of applications.
View the drop-downs below to access select STI-related Model Practice and Promising Practice award winners from the last two years. To view all Model Practice awardees from previous years, visit our searchable database.
| Application Title | Award Status | Year Awarded | Health Department Name | Keywords |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare on the Spot: Integrated Mobile Treatment | Promising Practice | 2020 | Baltimore City Health Department (MD) | Harm reduction, mobile services, MAT, naloxone, HIV prevention, STI prevention, syringe exchange |
| Aurora Syringe Access Services | Model Practice | 2019 | Colorado Public Health Agencies (CO) | Harm reduction, syringe exchange, hepatitis C, people who use drugs, opioid, naloxone, outreach, coalitions, partnerships, HIV prevention |
| Hepatitis A Outbreak Response: Foot Team Deployment Using Geospatial High-Risk Activity Data | Promising Practice | 2020 | Florida Department of Health Pinellas County (FL) | Infectious disease, immunization, HAV, hepatitis A outbreak, field investigation, incident response, emergency response |
| Hepatitis A Outbreak Response | Promising Practice | 2019 | Oakland County Health Division (MI) | Infectious disease, immunization, HAV, hepatitis A outbreak, emergency response, awareness campaign, hotline, vaccination clinic |
| Addressing a Hepatitis A Outbreak - Collaborative Community Response | Promising Practice | 2019 | Macomb County Health Department (MI) | Infectious disease, immunization, HAV, hepatitis A outbreak, awareness campaign, epidemiology, collaboration |
| Hepatitis A Vaccination in Correctional Facilities | Promising Practice | 2019 | Bullitt County Health Department (KY) | Infectious disease, immunization, HAV, hepatitis A outbreak, collaboration, vaccination, correctional facility, incident response, injection drug use |
| Innovative Strategy to Increase Identification of Infants born to Chronic Hepatitis B Mothers | Model Practice | 2018 | Houston Health Department (TX) | Infectious disease, quality improvement, HBV screening, hepatitis B, maternal health, research and evaluation, electronic medical records |
| Implementing PrEP and Hepatitis C Evaluation/Treatment in an Adult Health and STD Clinic | Promising Practice | 2018 | Jefferson County Department of Health/Alabama Public Health Jefferson District (AL) | Hepatitis C, HCV, HIV prevention, pre-exposure prophylaxis, linkage to care, training, HCV testing, collaboration, sexual health clinic |
Policy Statements
NACCHO's policy statements and communications to Congress and the administration related to viral hepatitis are found below. The organization's Board of Directors determines positions on public health issues. Learn how local health departments have used NACCHO's policy statements to influence local, state and federal policy.
NACCHO members participate actively in the organization's policy development process through workgroups. The HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis Workgroup, Infectious Disease Workgroup, and Immunization Workgroup contribute to the development and revision of viral hepatitis-related policy statements. Learn more about the HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis Workgroup and apply to join here.
Viral Hepatitis-related policy statements
- Viral Hepatitis
- Syringe Services Programs & Other Harm Reduction Strategies
- Infectious Diseases in Correctional Facilities
Health equity policy statements
- Health and Disability
- Health Equity and Social Justice
- Immigrant Health
- LGBTQ Health
- Mass Incarceration and Structural Racism
- Police Violence and Racism
- Women's Health
Letters to Congress and the Administration
- Letter to CDC Supporting Proposed Updates to CDC Recommendations for Hepatitis C Screening among Adults (12/26/19)
- Joint Letter to CDC Requesting Continuation of the Perinatal Hepatitis B Auxiliary Prevention Project (5/15/19)
- Letter Endorsing Eliminating Opioid Related Infectious Diseases Act of 2018(3/14/18)
View more policy statements and letters to Congress and the administration on NACCHO's Policy and Advocacy page.
Stay up to date on the latest HIV, STI, and viral hepatitis tools, news, and resources on our blog, The Essential Elements of Local Public Health! Click through the arrows below to see recent our recent posts or visit the blog to view all posts related to HIV, STI, and viral hepatitis.
Recent News
For questions about NACCHO's work regarding viral hepatitis prevention, detection, and response, contact our hepatitis specialists below.
Community Health Program
Kat Kelley
Senior Program Analyst, HIV, STI, & Viral Hepatitis
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