News

 

The first United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on Ending Tuberculosis on September 26, 2018 will present an unprecedented opportunity for UN Member States to make concrete commitments in the meeting’s political declaration towards eliminating the world’s biggest infectious disease killer. Today, on World Health Day, please join us in reconfirming our commitment to eradicating TB.

 

As you may have heard by now, the Kirby Institute is mourning the loss of our Director, Scientia Professor David Cooper AO.

David passed away after a short illness at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney on Sunday 18 March 2018, aged 68.

The Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has focused on fostering conversations about the opioid epidemic and how it is affecting the spread of infectious diseases. They're engaging federal, national and local partners to bring examples of the latest evidence and recommendations, strategies being employed, and progress being made at the state and local levels in responding to the opioid epidemic.

Washington DC, Tuesday, February 27, 2018 

The Liver Forum is pleased to announce the “Early View” publication of its second manuscript, Case Definitions for Inclusion and Analysis of Endpoints in Clinical Trials for NASH through the Lens of Regulatory Science,published in the peer-reviewed journal Hepatology. The development of this manuscript included input and contributions from key opinion leaders in the field of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and was led by Dr. Mohammad Shadab Siddiqui (Virginia Commonwealth University), Dr. Stephen Harrison (Pinnacle Clinical Research), and Dr. Arun Sanyal (Virginia Commonwealth University). The published article is available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.29607.

We are very pleased to announce the launch of the Partner Planning Guide (Guide) for the National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2017-2020 (Action Plan). This strategic planning resource is designed for use by individuals, groups, and organizations that are conducting strategic programs and providing services to prevent, diagnose, and treat hepatitis B (HBV) and/or hepatitis C (HCV).

It has been just over a year since the National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2017-2020 (Action Plan) was released. The updated Action Plan represents a new phase in the battle against viral hepatitis and is the nation’s roadmap for addressing viral hepatitis in the United States. It reflects recent trends in viral hepatitis infections and deaths, as well as new and improved strategies for prevention, care, and treatment.

New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that the recent steep increase in cases of acute hepatitis C virus infection is associated with increases in opioid injection. Rates of hepatitis C infections increased most steeply among young people, followed by whites, and women. 

WHO PQDx is a valuable initiative that improves the quality of in vitro diagnostics for under-served populations in countries where regulatory systems are weak or non-existent. However, broader attention to some of the existing inefficiencies and longer-term risks concerning the successful implementation of this important programme is needed. Our viewpoint discusses challenges of WHO PQDx, in particular around its scope, processes, timelines and financing. It also highlights the manufacturers’ responsibilities and is informed by consolidated feedback from a large number of experts working in the in vitro diagnostics and medical devices industries, along with insightful comments from WHO. The paper was accepted for publication on 17 August 2017 and assigned to Clinical Infectious Diseases’ 6 January 2018’s issue. It is freely available at https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cix719.

Many community leaders across the United States are calling for just that: an end to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in their cities, their counties, and their states. In many ways, this is aparadigm shift – rather than asking for unambitious, incremental progress in reducing new infections and increasing viral suppression rates, communities of activists, service providers, health departments, elected officials, people living with HIV, and other key stakeholders are doing the work to create ambitious and bold plans to improve the health outcomes of all people living with and vulnerable to the virus and to drive HIV/AIDS below epidemic levels.

As 2017 comes to a close, we would like to personally thank all our federal and community partners that have helped to advance our national efforts in the battle against viral hepatitis.  

Although much has been accomplished this year, we are still losing ground. The opioid epidemic is fueling increases in hepatitis B and C, and a growing number of infants are now at risk. More than 4 million Americans from all walks of life are already infected, but just over half of them know they have the virus, and hepatitis-related deaths are at near record levels.