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BMC Infectious Diseases
Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases 6/2014

Open Access 01-09-2014 | Review

Hepatitis C in European prisons: a call for an evidence-informed response

Authors: Amber Arain, Geert Robaeys, Heino Stöver

Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases | Special Issue 6/2014

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Abstract

Globally, over 10 million people are held in prisons and other places of detention at any given time. People who inject drugs (PWID) comprise 10-48% of male and 30-60% of female prisoners. The spread of hepatitis C in prisons is clearly driven by injection drug use, with many infected prisoners unaware of their infection status. Risk behaviour for acquisition of hepatitis C via common use of injecting equipment is widespread in many prison settings.
In custodial settings, effective and efficient prevention models applied in the community are very rarely implemented. Only approximately 60 out of more than 10,000 prisons worldwide provide needle exchange. Thus, HCV prevention is almost exclusively limited to verbal advice, leaflets and other measures directed to cognitive behavioural change. Although the outcome of HCV antiviral treatment is comparable to non-substance users and substance users out of prison, the uptake for antiviral treatment is extremely low.
Based on a literature review to assess the spread of hepatitis C among prisoners and to learn more about the impact for the prison system, recommendations regarding hepatitis C prevention, screening and treatment in prisons have been formulated in this article.
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Metadata
Title
Hepatitis C in European prisons: a call for an evidence-informed response
Authors
Amber Arain
Geert Robaeys
Heino Stöver
Publication date
01-09-2014
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Infectious Diseases / Issue Special Issue 6/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2334
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-14-S6-S17

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WHO estimates that half of all patients worldwide are non-adherent to their prescribed medication. The consequences of poor adherence can be catastrophic, on both the individual and population level.

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