Published: September 28, 2023 11.52am EDT, The Conversation

A growing number of people living in the UK are going abroad to have tattoos, piercings and cosmetic surgeries. Any procedure, no matter where it’s performed, can carry the risk of injury and infection.
But people heading abroad for cosmetic procedures may want to be extra cautious – with recent reports suggesting thousands of UK residents may have unknowingly contracted hepatitis C this way.
Over 170 million people worldwide are estimated to have hepatitis C. There are approximately one million new infections each year. In England, more than 70,000 people had hepatitis C in 2022. But many more could unknowingly be infected, as hepatitis C symptoms can take years to show up.
Hepatitis C can develop into severe and fatal liver disease if undiagnosed. But when caught early, treatment is over 95% effective – highlighting just how important timely testing is.

​TO CONTINUE READING: https://theconversation.com/hepatitis-c-britons-getting-tattoos-and-cosmetic-procedures-abroad-may-be-at-risk-heres-how-to-avoid-it-212645

News/Press SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
Bill Text (PDF)
Washington (September 26, 2023) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security and a member of the U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking, along with Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), today announced the reintroduction of the Eliminating Opioid-Related Infectious Diseases Act, bipartisan legislation that would reauthorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) ongoing initiative to eliminate the risk of infectious disease caused by substance use disorder to continue through 2028. In 2018, Senators Markey, Young, and Baldwin secured the passage of legislation to expand the CDC’s initiative to collaborate with states to improve education, surveillance, and treatment of opioid use-related infectious diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C.
The connection between HIV, hepatitis C, and injection drug-use is well-documented. This follows the CDC reporting an increasing number of hepatitis C infections over the past decade, most of which is due to injection drug-use. The high rates of transmission, especially among young people, highlights the continued need for these targeted programs to stop the spread of preventable diseases.
“The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis, and infectious diseases compound the health challenges faced by Americans suffering from substance use disorder,” said Senator Markey. “Our federal government has a duty to empower providers serving on the frontlines so they can treat every impact of this epidemic, including the spread of infectious diseases. The Eliminating Opioid-Related Infectious Disease Act gives Americans access to life-saving treatment through commonsense programs based on science. We need to lead with care that is compassionate to end this opioid and overdose crisis once and for all.”
“The fentanyl and opioid epidemic has far-reaching and deadly public health impacts, including spreading infectious diseases like hepatitis and HIV,” said Senator Baldwin. “While I am fighting to stop these drugs from coming into our communities and boost treatment and recovery efforts, Washington also needs to step up to help states curb the spread of diseases related to this crisis. Our bipartisan bill will give communities the tools they need to help save lives and fight this public health crisis on all fronts.” 
​TO CONTINUE READING:  https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-young-baldwin-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-combat-opioid-related-infectious-diseases