With the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat, the New York Department of Health released its 2022 Annual Report on Hepatitis A, B and C, which includes a summary of surveillance data and programming of the 2022 in New York City.
“We have an ambitious but achievable target for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “We continue to see progress and although we have more work to do – we are confident in the winning combination of partnerships and programs designed to prevent new infections, improve health and reduce inequalities.”
The report also includes updates on progress toward implementing the Department of Health and community partners’ Plan to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis as a Significant Public Health Threat in New York City by 2030, a set of strategies to reduce number of new hepatitis B and C infections, improve the health of people with hepatitis B and C, and reduce health disparities related to viral hepatitis infection in New York City, published December 2021.
According to health authorities, there were 5,534 new reported cases of chronic hepatitis B in New York City in 2022, an increase from 2021 and close to the level before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 2,805 new reported cases of chronic hepatitis C, a decrease from 2021 to 2022. Reported cases of hepatitis A decreased almost 50% from 2021 to 2022.
Inequalities persist by gender, neighborhood poverty level, and age in newly reported cases of chronic hepatitis B and C: Among people newly reported with chronic hepatitis B in 2022, 58% were men, 49% were between 30 and 49 years old, 37% were from Brooklyn, 27% were from Queens, and 40% lived in high or very high poverty neighborhoods; Among people newly reported with chronic hepatitis C, 64% were men, 34% were between 20 and 39 years old, 31% were from Brooklyn, 25% were from the Bronx, and 39% lived in high-poverty neighborhoods or very high. New cases of hepatitis C among young people are more likely to be infections due to recent exposure from sharing drug use equipment.
“While our most recent hepatitis A, B and C surveillance data reflect progress in some areas of our efforts to eliminate hepatitis, it is clear that we have more work to do, especially to address the stark inequalities we continue to see across the world. new reported cases of chronic hepatitis B and C in New York City,” said Dr. Sarah Braunstein, deputy commissioner of the Department of Health’s Office of Hepatitis, HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections.
2024-01-03 19:00:00
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