Summary of available surveillance data on hepatitis C virus infection from eight Arctic countries, 2012 to 2014

Abstract

We summarised available hepatitis C virus (HCV) surveillance data for 2012–14 from Arctic/sub-Arctic countries/regions. We sent a HCV data collection template by email to public health authorities in all jurisdictions. Population statistics obtained from census sources for each country were used to estimate rates of reported acute and chronic/undifferentiated HCV cases. Seven countries with Arctic regions (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and the United States, represented by the state of Alaska), including three Canadian territories and one province, as well as 11 Russian subnational Arctic regions, completed the data collection template. Data on acute HCV infection during 2014 was available from three Arctic countries and all Russian Arctic regions (rate range 0/100,000 population in Greenland, as well as Nenets and Chukotka Automous Okrugs (Russian subnational Arctic regions) to 3.7/100,000 in the Russian Republic of Komi). The rate of people with chronic/undifferentiated HCV infection in 2014 ranged from 0/100,000 in Greenland to 171.2/100,000 in Alaska. In most countries/regions, the majority of HCV-infected people were male and aged 19–64 years. Differences in surveillance methods preclude direct comparisons of HCV surveillance data between Arctic countries/regions. Our data can inform future efforts to develop standardised approaches to HCV surveillance in the Arctic countries/regions by identifying similarities/differences between the surveillance data collected.

The Alaska Native/American Indian experience of hepatitis C treatment with sofosbuvir-based direct-acting antivirals

“…There is ongoing discussion about whether the effectiveness of hepatitis C treatment varies between racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The Liver Disease and Hepatitis program (LDHP) at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) provides a reliable setting to study disparities in hepatitis C treatment due to high rates of the disease in Alaska (26), with an ongoing registry in place, and an established AN/AI HCV-infected cohort from a large and diverse AN/AI population.…”

The Alaska Native/American Indian experience of hepatitis C treatment with sofosbuvir-based direct-acting antivirals

“…Besides a study by Mera et al [ 25 ] that examined HCV treatment response in 288 American Indian/Alaska Native patients treated with DAAs in clinics participating in Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO), little is known about effectiveness of direct acting antivirals in Alaska Native/American Indian People. The Liver Disease and Hepatitis program (LDHP) at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) provides a reliable setting to study disparities in hepatitis C treatment due to high rates of the disease in Alaska [ 26 ], with an ongoing registry in place, and an established AN/AI HCV-infected cohort from a large and diverse AN/AI population.…”