• Aaron M Harris, Otar Chokoshvili, Joshua Biddle, Kostantine Turashvili, Maia Japaridze, Irma Burjanadze, Tengiz Tsertsvadze, Lali Sharvadze, Marine Karchava, Archil Talakvadze, Ketevan Chakhnashvili, Tamta Demurishvili, Paata Sabelashvili, Monique Foster, Liesl Hagan, Maia Butsashvili, Juliette Morgan, and Francisco Averhoff.
• Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS: G37, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA. amharris@cdc.gov.
• Bmc Public Health. 2019 May 10; 19 (Suppl 3): 466.

BackgroundThe country of Georgia has a high burden of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and prisoners are disproportionately affected. During 2013, a novel program offering no cost screening and treatment of HCV infection for eligible prisoners was launched.MethodsThe HCV treatment program implemented a voluntary opt-in anti-HCV testing policy to all prisoners. Anti-HCV positive persons received HCV RNA and genotype testing. Transient elastography was also performed on prisoners with positive HCV RNA results. Prisoners with chronic HCV infection who had ≥F2 Metavir stage for liver fibrosis and a prison sentence ≥ 6 months were eligible for interferon-based treatment, which was the standard treatment prior to 2015. We conducted an evaluation of the HCV treatment program among prisoners from the program's inception in December 2013 through April 2015 by combining data from personal interviews with corrections staff, prisoner data in the corrections database, and HCV-specific laboratory information.ResultsOf an estimated 30,000 prisoners who were incarcerated at some time during the evaluation period, an estimated 13,500 (45%) received anti-HCV screening, of whom 5175 (38%) tested positive. Of these, 3840 (74%) received HCV RNA testing, 2730 (71%) tested positive, and 880 (32%) met treatment eligibility. Of these, 585 (66%) enrolled; 405 (69%) completed treatment, and 202 (50%) achieved a sustained virologic response at least 12 weeks after treatment completion.ConclusionsHCV infection prevalence among Georgian prisoners was high. Despite challenges, we determined HCV treatment within Georgian Ministry of Correction facilities was feasible. Efforts to address HCV infection among prison population is one important component of HCV elimination in Georgia.

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