Newsletters

Hepatitis Happenings and Updates

May 14, 2025

Hepatitis Awareness Month 2025

Happy Hepatitis Awareness Month! This month is a great time to increase viral hepatitis awareness and education in our communities and to highlight programs that your jurisdictions are supporting to increase viral hepatitis prevention, screening and treatment.

Here are some resources to help get the word out in your communities:

Please share with us any activities or commemoration that you all will have this month.

NASTAD Updates

Upcoming NASTAD-led Workgroup Calls

May 2025 Workgroup Calls (You only need to register once for each workgroup. The Zoom link is for all calls. Workgroup slides and resources can be found on the Viral Hepatitis Community Platform SharePoint site. Additional information about the workgroups can be found after the break)

Bimonthly Hepatitis Workgroup: May 13, 2025 | email hepatitis@NASTAD.org for registration

Telehealth Workgroup: May 15 and 29, 2025 | Registration

Corrections Workgroup: May 27, 2025 | Registration

Bimonthly Hepatitis Workgroup Calls

Bimonthly call to discuss recent hepatitis updates for health departments implementing viral hepatitis activities in their jurisdiction regardless of funding source. Each meeting includes updates on hepatitis advocacy and policy, and drug user health. Participants are encouraged to send in Hot Topics for discussion to hepatitis@NASTAD.org prior to the meeting. For meeting link, please email Zakiya Grubbs (zgrubbs@NASTAD.org) or Isabel Lechuga (rlechuga@NASTAD.org).

Schedule: Bimonthly calls every second Tuesday from 3 - 4 PM ET
Upcoming dates: May 13, July 8, September 9, November 13, 2025
Intended audience: Closed to health department staff implementing viral hepatitis activities.

Newer Hepatitis Staff Calls

These calls are open to all new (or newish) hepatitis health department staff who started their roles and are interested in networking and learning more about what their peers are working on their respective jurisdictions. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet-and-greet others and familiarize themselves with NASTAD’s Newer Hepatitis Staff Toolkit. This workgroup is facilitated by HepTAC Advisory Committee member Chloé Manchester.

Schedule: Quarterly calls from 3 - 4 PM ET
Upcoming dates: June 5, October 2, 2025
Intended audience: Newer hepatitis program staff (e.g. program coordinators, surveillance staff, etc.)
Registration: https://nastad.zoom.us/meeting/register/S1dulMzxQHyoSUZcGRBbLw

Telehealth Workgroup (new!)

To support viral hepatitis programs in sharing best practices in implementing a telehealth program within their jurisdiction. This workgroup is facilitated by HepTAC Advisory Committee member Heath Johnson (IA).

Schedule: Quarterly calls from 3 - 4 PM ET
Upcoming dates: May 15, May 29, June 12, July 17, Jul 31, 2025
Intended audience: Health department staff seeking to or currently implementing a telehealth HCV treatment program through the health department or in collaboration with other healthcare providers.
Registration: https://nastad.zoom.us/meeting/register/7GPej_FlRquEF0wjHgj4Sg

Corrections Workgroup (new!)

To support jurisdictions in developing and fostering relationships with correctional partners to support outbreak response, increasing testing and access to hepatitis treatment; and to develop a resource repository for HDs to strengthen their response to viral hepatitis activities with their correctional partners. Facilitated by Chanel Epps (MO), HepTAC Advisory Committee member.

Schedule: Quarterly calls from 3 - 4 PM ET
Upcoming dates: May 27, July 10, November 13, 2025
Intended audience: Viral hepatitis staff working with local and state corrections departments
Registration: https://nastad.zoom.us/meeting/register/l2Uke0fHQnS3Tl3tP2LZRA

Tribal/State Viral Hepatitis Collaboration Workgroup (new!)

The goal of this workgroup is to strengthen relationships between tribal nations and state health departments to support viral hepatitis elimination goals. Facilitated by Claire Erikson (ND), HepTAC Advisory Committee member.

Schedule: Quarterly calls from 3 - 4 PM ET
Upcoming dates: July 24, November 20, 2025
Intended audience: Viral hepatitis program staff and tribal health liaisons
Registration: https://nastad.zoom.us/meeting/register/VzJd_m3gRX--V82HCNoDcg

Hepatitis C DIS/Linkage to Care Workgroup

This workgroup, led by Amelia Salmanson (UT), HepTAC Advisory Committee member, is a space to share best practices and learn from other jurisdictions about disease intervention specialists (DIS), linkage to care, and patient navigation. We will also be using this workgroup to discuss enhancing viral hepatitis case investigations/DIS.

Schedule: Quarterly calls from 3 - 4 PM ET
Upcoming dates: July 29, October 28, 2025
Intended audience: Health department prevention and/or surveillance staff working on HCV linkage to care.
Registration: https://nastad.zoom.us/meeting/register/D1D5oziLROqBJSpQ6X5pIA

Rural/Low Morbidity Workgroup

To support viral hepatitis programs in addressing the unique challenges related to rurality, limited resources, and low morbidity. This workgroup is facilitated by HepTAC Advisory Committee members Chloe Manchester (ME) and Claire Erikson (ND).

Schedule: Quarterly calls from 3 - 4 PM ET
Upcoming dates: June 19, September 11, 2025
Intended audience: Viral hepatitis health department staff that serve mostly rural populations and have resource and capacity limitations to providing services.
Registration: https://nastad.zoom.us/meeting/register/9gdgl0u4Qm-KTVYwEZuxng

Perinatal Surveillance and Case Management Workgroup

For jurisdictions looking to start or have previously established a perinatal hepatitis surveillance and case management program, this space is for sharing challenges and breakthroughs. Discussion topics include identifying cases within existing surveillance, developing a registry, infant follow-up testing and case management, and provider outreach. This workgroup is facilitated by HepTAC Advisory Committee member Heather Wingate (TN).

Schedule: Quarterly calls at 3 - 4 PM ET
Upcoming dates: June 26, October 23, 2025
Intended audience: Health department prevention and/or surveillance staff working on perinatal hepatitis B and C surveillance and case management.
Registration: https://nastad.zoom.us/meeting/register/susOdVqUQsKcKKV3kxd0jA

Outbreak Detection Planning Work Group

Collaborative space for jurisdictions to discuss developing and implementing an outbreak response plan for Hepatitis A, B, and C. Jurisdictions can share best practices and outbreak response activities, including monitoring surveillance data to identify outbreaks. Facilitated by Justinian Wurtzel (IA), HepTAC Advisory Committee member.

Schedule: Quarterly calls
Upcoming dates: June 17, July 15, 2025
Intended audience: Health department prevention and surveillance staff working on developing and implementing an outbreak response plan as a part of PS 21-2103 Component 1 grant activities.
Registration: https://nastad.zoom.us/meeting/register/6x6Br6PeR02WC3FnI7HMaw

VLC Recordings/Upcoming Sessions

The VLC is a virtual learning community and training series designed to support viral hepatitis health department staff implement the viral hepatitis prevention and surveillance activities set forth in CDC’s Integrated Viral Hepatitis Surveillance and Prevention Funding for Health Departments (CDC-RFA-PS21-2103) and is open to all state, territorial, and local health departments.

The next VLC session will be held on May 14, 2025 at 3 pm ET. The topic will be “Developing a continuum of care for HCV,” with presentations from Mirna Ponce Jewell, from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and Heather Wingate, from the Tennessee Department of Health and HepTAC Advisory Committee member, moderated by Eman Addish and Sarah New, HepTAC Advisory Committee members.

Please visit the VLC microsite for more information and to watch recordings from previous VLC sessions.

Hepatitis Policy Updates

White House Releases FY2026 Discretionary Budget Request

On May 2, the White House released its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY2026) Discretionary Budget Request, commonly referred to as the “skinny budget.” Like previous years, this document outlines broad funding priorities but offers few specifics on individual programs. A full budget request is expected later this spring. Still, several proposed consolidations and funding reductions raise significant concerns for our programs.  

Key proposals include:

CDC Program Consolidation and Cuts: The budget calls for combining CDC funding for infectious disease and drug user health programs—including viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and tuberculosis (TB)—into a single $300 million grant. This represents a $77 million cut from FY2024 levels, with no details provided on how funds would be distributed across disease areas.
HRSA Ryan White Program Reductions: The request eliminates funding for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part F, which supports education, training, and capacity-building. The $74 million cut would significantly impact workforce development and system-level support efforts.
Housing Program Consolidation: The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program would be merged into a broader Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program, which caps housing assistance at two years and shifts the focus to short- and medium-term housing for “homeless and at-risk individuals.” This change threatens long-term housing stability for people living with HIV.
Ongoing Risks to HIV Prevention: Although the budget doesn’t explicitly call for eliminating the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative or CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention, proposed CDC cuts and vague language around program eliminations suggest these critical efforts remain at risk.
Harm Reduction Undermined: The proposal also takes aim at harm reduction programs, framing services like syringe access and safer use supplies as inappropriate uses of federal funding. This language signals a shift away from evidence-based approaches and raises concerns about the future of federal support for harm reduction.

Together, these proposals signal a potential restructuring of the federal HIV response that could disrupt prevention, care, housing, and harm reduction services nationwide. While the skinny budget is not legally binding, it sets a policy direction that will shape negotiations with Congress in the months ahead. NASTAD will continue to advocate for strong federal investments in HIV, hepatitis, STI, and harm reduction programs and ensure these services are not weakened through funding cuts or structural changes.

Additional Updates

Hepatitis National Network for Education and Testing (HepNET)

Formed through a partnership between NASTAD, NVHR and NACCHO, the Hepatitis Network for Education and Testing (HepNET) is a collaborative initiative dedicated to advancing racial justice and health equity in viral hepatitis care, with a focus on people who use drugs. Click here to become a member! Members get access to HepNET's resource warehouse, webinars and events, invitations, technical assistance opportunities, and the chance to participate in HepNET's learning communities.

HepNET Leading with Lived Experience Webinar Series

Register today for the HepNET Leading with Lived Experience (LLE) webinar series taking place the first Wednesday of every month at 3 pm ET, here. HepNET’s Leading with Lived Experience consultants are individuals trained to provide technical assistance and capacity building to the learning communities through the lens of their lived expertise with viral hepatitis.

The May 7 webinar featured Dr. Catherine Chappell, Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, who is leading research that is currently focused on evaluating the efficacy and safety of direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C treatment during pregnancy.

The next webinar is scheduled for June 5, 2025 at 3 PM ET.

NASTAD Membership Directory Update

We are updating our membership directory to include both viral hepatitis prevention and surveillance points of contact. Please provide the contact information for your jurisdiction here, and review the current directory here. Thank you!

Hot Topics: HepTAC TA Requests

We have received a few TA requests, and we are requesting your assistance:

· Examples of MOUs for community partners to support renting/leasing the HCV RNA POC machine.

· Protocols for public health nurses and/or pharmacists to initiate HCV treatment under standing orders for patients who meet simplified treatment criteria and who have no other risk factors

If you have any information on the above TA requests, please email hepatitis@nastad.org. Thank you!

Note: Our team aims to send out a monthly newsletter to streamline hepatitis communications. If you know someone who would benefit from signing up for the monthly newsletter, please click here.

Partner Updates

2023 Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report and 2025 Viral Hepatitis National Progress Report

CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis has recently published the 2023 Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report and 2025 Viral Hepatitis National Progress Report. Here are a few key points from the surveillance report:

After annual increases during 2015–2019, the rate of hepatitis A decreased 91% from 2019–2023.
After nearly a decade of stable rates of acute hepatitis B from 2011–2019, a decrease was observed from 2019–2020, and rates have remained relatively stable through 2023.
Following a decade of increasing rates of acute hepatitis C from 2011–2020, the rate has remained relatively stable from 2020–2023.

Additionally, the 2025 Viral Hepatitis National Progress Report, which monitors progress toward the DVH 2025 Strategic Plan and the HHS Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan, noted the following key findings:

Five of the 10 indicators assessing progress toward viral hepatitis reduction met annual targets in 2025.
Progress on the remaining five indicators can be catalyzed by
- Increasing testing, vaccination, and treatment for adults and infants
- Developing and implementing new laboratory diagnostics
- Enhancing jurisdictional surveillance capacity
- Expanding harm reduction services for people who inject drugs

As always, we greatly appreciate the work you all do to collect and analyze the data that informs these reports. This data is necessary for determining public health messaging and priorities for the upcoming year.

Resources

Updated Hepatitis C Online and new HCV Test and Cure Module

The University of Washington has recently released the 4^th edition of Hepatitis C Online educational platform and have released the new HCV Test and Cure Module. The new module is a shorter version of the entire curriculum, with an introduction from CDC/DVH division director Dr. Carolyn Wester and lessons presented by Nathan Furukawa, CDC/DVH Senior Advisor for Hepatitis C Elimination and Andrew Aronsohn, Associate Professor of Medicine University Chicago and co-chair AASLD/IDSA HCV Guidelines group.

Upcoming Webinars, Meetings, & Events

Archived Webinars

Recurring Meetings

CSTE Viral Hepatitis Subcommittee Meetings | First Thursday, every other month at 3 PM ET

The Viral Hepatitis Subcommittee holds regular conference calls and webinars to discuss current issues and overarching topics related to viral hepatitis surveillance, such as best practices and lessons learned across jurisdictions, policy around viral hepatitis surveillance, and analyzing viral hepatitis data. For more information, and how to become a member click here.

Conferences/Events (National & Local)

INHSU Hepatitis C Intervention Symposia Series

October 3, 2025 | Phoenix, AZ | Registration

October 24, 2025 | Chicago, IL | Registration

In this free symposium series, you will learn practical strategies to enhance your HCV service delivery, including point-of-care testing, telehealth, integrated HCV care in Syringe Service Programs, peer support and care navigation, dried blood spot testing and more. Gain the tools to expand and elevate your HCV service delivery. This symposium is essential for professionals working with people who use drugs and committed to advancing HCV care. Register via the links above or reach out to info@inhsu.org with any questions.

CSTE 2025 Annual Conference

June 8-12, 2025 | Grand Rapids, MI

The CSTE Annual Conference connects more than 2,800 public health epidemiologists from across the country and will include workshops, plenary sessions with leaders in the field of public health, breakout sessions, discussion sessions, poster presentations, and more. Conference attendees meet and share their expertise in surveillance and epidemiology as well as best practices in a broad range of areas including informatics, infectious diseases, substance use, immunizations, environmental health, occupational health, chronic disease, injury control, and maternal and child health. Register here (early bird registration closes on April 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM).

NACCHO 360

July 14-18, 2025 | Anaheim, CA

NACCHO360 is the largest convening of local health department leaders and public health professionals in the United States, offering the opportunity to learn, network, and share experiences and best practices across local health departments. In 2025, the public health community will gather in Anaheim, California, July 14-18, to explore our conference theme, "Bright Lights, Bold Ideas: Shaping the Future of Public Health Practice.” Registration can be found here.

The 13th International Conference on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users

October 14-17, 2025 | Cape Town, South Africa

Hosted by INHSU– the International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users – INHSU 2025 will welcome hundreds of attendees from across the globe, spanning sectors including harm reduction, infectious diseases, civil society, and drug policy. Registration information can be found here.