Action Plan Overview

The National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2017-2020 (Action Plan)  is our nation’s battle plan for fighting viral hepatitis in the United States. The updated plan outlines strategies to achieve four major goals and includes indicators to help track progress between now and 2020. The goals are:

Goal 1: Prevent new viral hepatitis infections

Goal 2: Reduce deaths and improve the health of people living with viral hepatitis

Goal 3: Reduce viral hepatitis health disparities

Goal 4: Coordinate, monitor, and report on implementation of viral hepatitis activities

The Action Plan is a national plan, not just a federal plan—everyone has a role to play. It was developed collaboratively by representatives from 23 federal departments, agencies, and offices with recommendations provided by states, counties, Tribes, cities, and organizations around the country.

It recognizes that success cannot be achieved by federal action alone but requires the support and commitment of a broad mix of nonfederal stakeholders from various sectors, both public and private. Everyone has a role to play. Join us in the fight.

• Download the Action Plan Overview.
• Download the full Action Plan.  Read the details of the Action Plan below.
• Visit our Partner Planning Guide page for resources on program and strategic planning efforts for HBV and/or HCV.

Overview of the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan, Vision, Goals, Strategies, and Indicators

The Action Plan helps to identify advances and opportunities that can support our collective response such as viral hepatitis screening recommendations, expanded access to health coverage, developments in hepatitis C cure, the integration of public health and clinical care services, and developments in syringe services programs. It also identifies some of the challenges such as limited data, low provider awareness, low public awareness and perceived risk, the limited public health and health system response, the high cost of treatment, and stigma and discrimination.

The Action Plan recognizes that infections with HBV and HCV more heavily impact some populations and prioritizes efforts focused on improving testing and diagnoses, access to care, and treatment among these populations. This includes baby boomers, people who inject drugs, American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN), Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), African Americans, people in correctional facilities, Veterans, homeless individuals, men who have sex with men (MSM), pregnant women, and people living with HIV.

Vision

The United States will be a place where new viral hepatitis infections have been eliminated, where all people with chronic hepatitis B and C know their status, and everyone with chronic hepatitis B and C has access to high quality health care and curative treatments, free from stigma and discrimination.

Goal 1: Prevent new viral hepatitis infections

Strategies:

1. Increase community awareness of viral hepatitis and decrease stigma and discrimination
2. Build capacity and support innovation by the health care workforce to prevent viral hepatitis
3. Address critical data gaps and improve viral hepatitis surveillance
4. Achieve universal hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccination for children and vulnerable adults
5. Eliminate mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B and hepatitis C
6. Ensure that people who inject drugs have access to viral hepatitis prevention services
7. Reduce the transmission of viral hepatitis in health care settings among patients and health care workers
8. Conduct research leading to new or improved viral hepatitis vaccines, diagnostic tests, and treatments, and the optimal use of existing tools to prevent, detect, and treat viral hepatitis

Indicators:

1. Decrease the number of new HBV infections by at least 60%
2. Increase the rate of hepatitis B vaccine “birth dose” coverage to 85%
3. Increase the rate of hepatitis B vaccination among health care personnel to 90%
4. Decrease the number of new HCV infections by at least 60%

Goal 2: Reduce deaths and improve the health of people living with viral hepatitis

Strategies:

1. Build the capacity of the health care workforce to diagnose viral hepatitis and provide care and treatment to persons living with chronic viral hepatitis
2. Identify persons infected with viral hepatitis early in the course of their disease
3. Improve access to and quality of care and treatment for persons infected with viral hepatitis
4. Improve viral hepatitis treatment among persons living with HIV/AIDS
5. Ensure that people who inject drugs have access to viral hepatitis care and evidence-based treatment services
6. Expand access to and delivery of hepatitis prevention, care, and treatment services in correctional settings
7. Monitor provision and impact of viral hepatitis care and treatment services
8. Advance research to enhance identification, care, treatment, and cure for persons infected with viral hepatitis

Indicators:

1. Increase the percent of persons aware of their HBV infection to 66%
2. Reduce the number of HBV-related deaths by 20%
3. Increase the percent of persons aware of their HCV infection to 66%
4. Reduce the number of HCV-related deaths by 25%

Goal 3: Reduce viral hepatitis health disparities

Strategies:

1. Decrease health disparities by partnering with and educating priority populations and their communities about viral hepatitis and the benefits of available prevention, care, and treatment
2. Improve access to care and the delivery of culturally competent and linguistically appropriate viral hepatitis prevention and care services
3. Monitor viral hepatitis-associated health disparities in transmission, disease, and deaths
4. Advance basic, clinical, translational, and implementation research to improve understanding of and response to viral hepatitis health disparities

Indicators:

1. Decrease the number of new HBV infections among individuals 30-49 years of age by at least 60%
2. Reduce the number of HBV-related deaths among Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders by at least 20%
3. Reduce the number of HBV-related deaths among African Americans by at least 20%
4. Reduce the number of HBV-related deaths among individuals 45 years of age and older by at least 20%
5. Decrease the number of new HCV infections among individuals 20-39 years of age by at least 60%
6. Decrease the number of new HCV infections among American Indians/Alaska Natives by at least 60%
7. Reduce the number of HCV-related deaths among individuals 55-74 years of age by at least 25%
8. Reduce the number of HCV-related deaths among American Indians/Alaska Natives by at least 25%
9. Reduce the number of HCV-related deaths among African Americans by at least 25%

Goal 4: Coordinate, monitor, and report on implementation of viral hepatitis activities

Strategies:

1. Increase coordination of viral hepatitis programs across the federal government and among federal agencies, state, territorial, Tribal, and local governments as well as non-governmental stakeholders from all sectors of society
2. Strengthen timely availability and use of data
3. Encourage development of improved mechanisms to monitor and report on progress toward achieving national viral hepatitis goals
4. Regularly report on progress toward achieving the goals of the National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan

Indicators:

Goal 4 does not lend itself to quantitative indicators so other methods to assess progress for this goal will be employed.