Theme: Epidemiology & Public Health Research Year: 2016
MONITORING HCV AMONG PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS IN EUROPE: A SET OF INDICATORS TO SERVE POLICY AND PRACTICE Giraudon I 1 , Kalamara E 1 , Hedrich D 1 1European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Background: HCV infection is highly prevalent among people who inject drugs (PWID) across Europe. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) routinely monitors prevalence, prevention and treatment response to HCV infection among PWID in Europe through an integrated set of epidemiological and intervention-related indicators. This paper presents the current situation in Europe and highlights the potential and need for further development of the monitoring framework to inform policies to tackle HCV among PWID. Methods: The EMCDDA collates information from the 28 European Members States, Norway and Turkey through REITOX National focal points. Data include prevalence of injecting drug use (IDU) and of infections, including HCV among PWID and provision and coverage of health services, including opioid substitution treatment (OST) and needle and syringe programmes (NSP). Results: Latest estimates of IDU prevalence, available for 16 countries, range from less than 1 to more than 9 cases per 1000 adults. HCV antibody prevalence among PWID in 2013-14 varies from 15% to 84%, exceeding 50% in 6 out of 13 countries with national data; HCV trends increased in 6 of them in 2008-14. Low syringes provision (
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