Raising Awareness of Hepatitis C in Rural New York

Posted on July 30, 2026 by HCV Dashboard Admin

People who use drugs (PWUD) are at the highest risk for acquiring hepatitis C.  The New York State (

​NYS) Hepatitis C Elimination plan has identified PWUD as the priority population for elimination.  New treatments available to cure hepatitis C should be made accessible to PWUD.  Guidelines support treating PWUD, even those actively using.

As shown by data from the three low-threshold models of hepatitis C treatment among PWUD funded by the AIDS Institute’s Office of Hepatitis Health Care and Epidemiology (OHHCE), high cure rates among PWUD are possible, especially when paired with supportive services including harm reduction and medication for opioid use disorder. 

Rural communities in the United States have been disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic, facing higher rates of opioid-related deaths and unique systemic challenges in addressing the crisis. As the opioid crisis surged, the number of new hepatitis C cases increased. From 2004-2014, among people ages 18-29, drug treatment program admissions for injection opioid use increased by 622%. HCV incidence increased by 400% in the same cohort.

​1 Between 2000-2019, HCV rates increased 10-fold among pregnant women with parallel increases in substance use and opioid use disorders.2
In NYS, outside of New York City, rates of hepatitis C are greater in rural areas than urban ones.  According to 2024 NYS hepatitis C case report data, the rate of newly reported hepatitis C cases was higher in rural counties than urban counties outside of NYC (33.0 per 100,000 vs. 20.3 per 100,000 population).  The highest rate was reported in the NY Penn/Binghamton area (33.7 per 100,000).3

​To Continue: https://hcvdashboardny.org/raising-awareness-of-hepatitis-c-in-rural-new-york/Posted on July 30, 2026 by HCV Dashboard Admin