HCV Community-led monitoring: from consultation to effective policy contributions
Background:
The EU4Health Boost Project aims to strengthen community-based and community-led organisations and bolster communicable disease services as part of a comprehensive, people-centred harm reduction strategy for people who use drugs and related vulnerable groups.Working alongside 5 partner NGOs, EuroNPUD is the lead community consultant championing and engaging community-led organizations and country focal points as part of the implementation of consultancy mechanisms and showcasing of best practice in HCV testing treatment and care for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD).
Objectives: Assessing policies and practices and the overall quality of community-based and community-led communicable diseases (HIV, HCV, and other BBV) testing and linkage to care services for people who use drugs. This project focuses on two best practices among the community-led initiatives in Europe, specifically in Norway and in Portugal.
Methods: The information for the case studies was gathered through interviews with peer workers, people accessing the services, and the service providers and was done in-person with visits to the community-led services. Two case studies were developed on ProLAR and their mobile Hep C bus in Norway and the GAT InMouraria center in Portugal. The information for the briefing report was supplemented by desktop research.
Results: Community-led approaches to HCV testing, treatment and care show a transformative paradigm in public health.The important role played by peer workers and drug user activists, as shown by the case studies, highlights the importance of lived experience in reshaping HCV healthcare. The success of community-led initiatives in Portugal and Norway is a testament to the power of peer engagement. fostering an environment conducive to HCV testing and treatment. The engagement of peer workers and drug user activists has played a key role in demystifying HCV, making testing and treatment more approachable to a broader audience. The lessons learned from these case studies provide a roadmap for policymakers, healthcare providers and communities to collaboratively forge a more inclusive and accessible healthcare landscape for people who inject drugs.
Implications: Participatory Action-research is a collaborative approach to research and policy design that involves active participation of community members. It aims to empower communities by involving them in the research process, allowing for a more bottom-up policy development. It is past time to ensure the participation of people who use drugs in the delivery, research and monitoring of communicable diseases, harm reduction programs and research initiatives.
