CDC makes recommendations on addressing Kanawha County's HIV outbreak
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Reducing barriers to participation for harm reduction programs is among the recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in addressing the HIV outbreak in Kanawha County.
In February, the CDC deemed Kanawha County’s HIV outbreak the most concerning in the country among those who inject drugs.
Since then, CDC representatives have been in Charleston doing an investigation to examine access and barriers to services, attitudes and beliefs of those who inject drugs and other community stakeholders and to review HIV contact tracing procedures and data to help identify potential opportunities for public health intervention, according to a news release from the state Department of Health and Human Resources.
The news release said the federal agency’s primary recommendations for addressing the ongoing HIV outbreak “focused on addressing gaps in prevention and care services for people who inject drugs. CDC emphasized that given the evidence of ongoing rapid HIV transmission, response activities should be approached with urgency.”
Here are some of the CDC recommendations:
* Expanding and improving access to sterile syringes, testing and treatment
The agency said this can be achieved by “meeting people who inject drugs where they are by reducing barriers to participation in harm reduction programs and bringing services to them through mobile and street outreach and one-stop shop models of harm reduction services.”
According to the CDC, HIV/hepatitis C testing should be made routine with opt-out screening in health care and other settings where people who inject drugs may engage in care.
The CDC said services for people who inject drugs should be “co-located” to facilitate a seamless transition to needed support, care, and treatment for HIV, hepatitis C, substance use, and mental health services
* Involving the community in efforts to address the outbreak
The CDC recommends increased engagement and dissemination of information, “particularly including facilitating community discussion with key stakeholders and engaging people who inject drugs in the design and delivery of programs and services.”
* Conducting additional data analysis
More research is needed to understand the extent of injection drug use in Kanawha County and “to prioritize outreach to other West Virginia counties to improve HIV testing, prevention and care services in communities at highest risk for HIV or hepatitis C outbreaks among people who inject drugs,” the CDC said.
The news release said the findings from the CDC are being presented by the DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health and the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department.
Harm reduction programs has been a hot potato issue in Charleston and in West Virginia. The Legislature passed a bill last session that regulates harm reduction programs that distribute needles and requires them to obtain a license. It requires approval from county commissioners and sheriff's departments and one-to-one exchange of needles and needle tracking.
In mid-July, the law was challenged in federal court, and a judge issued a temporary restraining order from having the measure go into effect. The judge, however, declined to grant a permanent injunction.
After much debate, Charleston City Council passed a bill regarding harm reduction programs in the city that closely mirrors the new West Virginia state law. The city bill followed controversy surrounding needle distribution that had been conducted by a grassroots organization called SOAR.
Dr. Ayne Amjad, state health officer and commissioner of DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health, said in the news release that the Bureau for Public Health is committed to assisting the community in keeping infection rates as low as possible.
“The state will continue to work with its partners to implement innovative approaches to delivery of prevention and care for people who inject drugs. Once again, we express our gratitude to the CDC Epi Aid team, the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department and many others for their work, especially throughout the last month," Amjad said. "DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health and partners have continued to respond to the HIV outbreak, including efforts such as forming the Kanawha Valley HIV Testing Outreach Group, providing virtual HIV counseling and testing training to non-traditional partners such as community Quick Response Team members and social service providers, and working with behavioral health providers and state opioid response grantees to integrate HIV testing and prevention into provided services."
Meanwhile, Dr. Sherri Young, associate chief medical officer at Charleston Area Medical Center for the West Virginia Health Network and former Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Health officer and chief executive officer, said the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, with its partners, "is aggressively pursuing HIV testing and referral. "We appreciate the CDC recognizing our efforts and providing these recommendations."