Reposted from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
The Health Department released its 2022 Hepatitis A, B, and C Annual Report, which includes a summary of 2022 hepatitis A, B, and C surveillance data and programming for New York City. The report also includes updates on progress toward implementing the Health Department and community partners’ Plan to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis as a Major Public Health Threat in New York City by 2030, a set of strategies to reduce the number of new hepatitis B and C infections, improve the health of people with hepatitis B and C, and reduce health inequities related to viral hepatitis infection in New York City, released in December 2021.
“We have an ambitious but attainable goal for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “We continue to see progress and – while we have more work to do – we feel confident in the winning combination of partnerships and programs designed to prevent new infections, improve health, and reduce inequities.”
There were 5,534 newly reported cases of chronic hepatitis B in New York City in 2022, an increase from 2021 and close to the level prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 2,805 newly reported cases of chronic hepatitis C, a decline from 2021 to 2022. Reported cases of hepatitis A decreased by almost 50% from 2021 to 2022. Inequities by gender, neighborhood poverty level, and age persist in newly reported cases of chronic hepatitis B and C in New York City: Among people newly reported with chronic hepatitis B in 2022, 58% were male, 49% were ages 30-49, 37% were from Brooklyn, 27% were from Queens, and 40% lived in neighborhoods of high or very high poverty; among people newly reported with chronic hepatitis C, 64% were male, 34% were ages 20-39 years, 31% were from Brooklyn, 25% were from the Bronx, and 39% lived in neighborhoods of high or very high poverty. New hepatitis C cases among young people are more likely to be infections due to recent exposure through sharing drug use equipment.
