Experts Propose National Hepatitis C Elimination Plan
Public health leaders are pushing for a federal strategy to improve testing and treatment access across the United States.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in COVID-19
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At the recent IDWeek 2026 conference in Washington, DC, health experts outlined necessary strategies for national hepatitis C elimination. The discussion highlighted the need for expanded prevention, diagnosis, and treatment access within the United States.
Why it matters
The United States lags behind other nations in key areas like providing clean injection equipment, making a coordinated national strategy essential for curbing transmission. Current legislative efforts aim to institutionalize a comprehensive testing and treatment program to address these gaps.
Legislators introduced the Cure Hepatitis C Act in the Senate in June 2025, followed by a House companion bill in July 2026 to create a national program. The effort currently lacks established nationwide testing and treatment infrastructure comparable to peer nations.
The players
IDWeek 2026
This annual scientific conference brings together researchers, clinicians, and public health officials to share findings on infectious diseases.
The details
To achieve elimination, public health experts emphasize adopting successful models from other countries that prioritized long-term political commitments and robust surveillance systems. These models utilized specific pilot programs to refine prevention and treatment techniques before broad implementation.
Timeline
The Senate introduced the Cure Hepatitis C Act in June 2025.
A House companion bill for the hepatitis C program was introduced in July 2026.
IDWeek 2026 took place in Washington, DC, from October 21 to 24, 2026.
Health Landscape
The discussion at IDWeek 2026 aligns with the goals of the Cure Hepatitis C Act by identifying the federal legislative roadmap necessary to modernize national disease surveillance and access. This initiative marks a pivot toward systemic federal intervention to mirror successful international disease elimination programs.
If enacted, the proposed national program could significantly increase the availability of routine testing and streamline access to treatment for hepatitis C. This would transition the disease from a fragmented healthcare challenge to a standardized, accessible public health priority.
The takeaway
Eliminating hepatitis C requires a combination of political commitment and evidence-based prevention methods. Experts suggest that the United States can improve outcomes by learning from international pilot programs that successfully scaled their treatment infrastructure.
Further reading
For more information on national disease response and public health policies, visit the COVID-19 section.
More information
Learn more about the project goals at the national hepatitis C elimination initiative.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ajmc.
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Should the federal government invest in a national program to eliminate hepatitis C?
