Hepatitis C Elimination Progress in Germany
Author Information
Author(s): Steffen Gyde, Amrei Krings, Sarah Guttmann, Nadine Lübke, Kristin Meyer-Schlinkmann, Carsten Tiemann, Jörg Timm, Andreas Walker, Ruth Zimmermann, Markus Backmund, Hans-Peter Dorsch, Sebastian Bayer, Jörg Ciomber, Miriam Gerlich, Astrid Leicht, Martin Kießling, Esther Neumeier, Stine Nielsen, Willehad Rensmann, Dirk Schäffer, Olaf Ostermann, Christiane Stöter, Stefan Wiedemann, Katrin Wimmer
Primary Institution: Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
Hypothesis
What is the current status of hepatitis C elimination efforts among people who inject drugs in Germany?
Conclusion
Viraemic hepatitis C prevalence among people who inject drugs in Germany remains high, and treatment coverage is still insufficient despite some progress.
Supporting Evidence
- Viraemic HCV infections decreased by 44% from 66% in 2011-2014 to 37% in 2021-2022.
- 61% of participants reported receiving opioid agonist treatment.
- 14% reported recent use of shared needles/syringes during the last 30 days.
- 77% of participants reported a history of imprisonment.
- 75% reported a history of homelessness.
Takeaway
This study looked at people who inject drugs in Germany and found that many still have hepatitis C, even though some are getting better treatment now.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study was conducted with participants recruited from low-threshold drug services and opioid agonist treatment practices, who completed a questionnaire and were tested for hepatitis B, C, and HIV.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in self-reported data and underrepresentation of participants without German language skills.
Limitations
The study's findings may not be representative of all regions in Germany due to convenience sampling and the specific locations of recruitment.
Participant Demographics
{"median_age":39,"age_range":"17-66","gender_distribution":{"male":68,"female":31,"diverse":1},"history_of_homelessness":75,"history_of_imprisonment":77}
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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