Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Hepatitis B and C co-infections and their associated liver-related complications continue to be leading causes of illness and death among HIV-infected persons. While many advances have been made in the last decade, significant challenges remain for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis in people living with HIV, particularly among people who use drugs and Indigenous people in the Americas. The proposed activity is in support of the 5th International HIV/Viral Hepatitis Co-Infection Meeting which will take place as a pre-conference prior to the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Mexico City, Mexico. The meeting brings together people living with HIV and hepatitis co-infections, specialists in infectious diseases, viral hepatitis and HIV, gastroenterologists, researchers and those working in community organizations, non-governmental organizations, governments and the pharmaceutical industry. It will address the key implementation challenges to achieving elimination of hepatitis B and C worldwide among people living with HIV and other key and marginalized populations with overlapping risks for both HIV and viral hepatitis, such as people who inject drugs, prisoners, Indigenous people, migrants (including forced migrants), men who have sex with men and transgender people. Through a mix of invited keynotes, debates and panels and an abstract driven poster exhibition designed to invite active exchanges between experts in different relevant science areas, policy makers and voices of the community, the meeting will identify scientific gaps as well as policy barriers that hinder faster progress in HBV and HCV elimination. There will be a strong focus on social determinants of HBV and HCV risk for marginalized populations, bringing together different community voices from the Americas.