FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2022
Washington, D.C. – The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR), a national coalition working to eliminate viral hepatitis, today released the following statement from Director of Policy Daniel Raymond on the Biden-Harris Administration’s release of its 2022 National Drug Control Strategy:
“NVHR commends the leadership of Dr. Rahul Gupta and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in producing a strong and substantive national drug control strategy that meaningfully addresses the mounting challenges of the overdose crisis through proven harm reduction strategies. The Strategy, which emphasizes critical strategies for substance use disorder treatment and recovery, will help stem the tide in preventable overdose deaths and related infectious disease transmission and outbreaks, including hepatitis C.
“Sound harm reduction policies require meeting people who use drugs where they are with high-impact public health interventions, removing barriers to treatment for substance use disorder, and addressing the inequities and social determinants of health that drive and exacerbate risk. Importantly the 2022 Strategy details a range of key actions to advance harm reduction through addressing resources and financing for programs, workforce development, partnerships and training, modernizing and aligning state laws and policies, and targeted strategies on data and research. This Strategy, if executed in partnership with the harm reduction community and people with lived experience, will effectively advance all of those aims.
“NVHR remains committed to working with the administration and Congress on implementing the Strategy through adequate federal funding and engagement with our partners in the harm reduction community.”
The Strategy establishes seven goals to be met by 2025, including but not limited to increasing prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery efforts. It features four harm reduction principles to meet these goals, including:
- Integrating Harm Reduction into the U.S. Substance Use Disorder System of Care Is Necessary to Save Lives and Increase Access to Treatment
- Collaboration on Harm Reduction with Public Safety Agencies
- Foster Changes in State Laws and Policies to Support Harm Reduction
- Support Partnerships on Harm Reduction
Dr. Rahul Gupta, along with other federal officials, joined NVHR and the Hepatitis Appropriations Partnership (HAP) on March 28, 2022 for a discussion on the viral hepatitis and overdose syndemic. Dr. Gupta discussed federal strategies and actions critical to catalyzing leadership, mobilizing resources, and removing barriers to overdose prevention and viral hepatitis elimination, and presented insights for advocates on advancing effective and equitable drug user health policies.
For more information about viral hepatitis and the importance of harm reduction in managing the opioid use and viral hepatitis syndemic, please visit www.nvhr.org.
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About the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR)
The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, an initiative of HEP, is a national coalition fighting for an equitable world free of viral hepatitis. NVHR seeks to eliminate viral hepatitis in the United States and improve the lives of those affected through advocacy, education, and support to national, state and local partners. For more information, visit www.nvhr.org
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