A policy meeting in Sacramento last month brought together about 100 advocates, including representatives of the Drug Policy Alliance, to discuss California's hepatitis C epidemic and form a statewide policy coalition.

HCV (the hepatitis C virus) is a serious public health problem in California, with about 600,000 people infected. The state made an important start on the issue last year by passing a bill to increase the availability of testing and treatment for people in the prison system, where one third of inmates are infected, but more needs to be done.

The Sacramento conference brought together people who work on HCV, have clients with HCV, or live with the virus themselves--all groups that stand to be affected by HCV policy. They discussed what is happening with HCV around the state and at the national level, and explored policies that would help to control the spread and impact of HCV in California.

One clear need that emerged from the meeting was the formation of a policy coalition to foster collaboration among groups and create unified policy strategies. With the creation of the Strategic Statewide Policy Coalition, the stakeholders will be able to further the discussion.

Alberto Mendoza, DPA's Southern California regional director, said, "Treatment providers, public health advocates and policy makers all need to work together to reduce the damage hep C is causing. We need better education, especially among the injection drug user community, as well as better access to treatment. The coalition will help us figure out how to meet these needs and assess what is realistic, and what works."

While the Sacramento conference dealt with statewide issues, a follow-up meeting in Los Angeles, sponsored by DPA and the California Hepatitis C Alliance, will focus on the local needs of Southern California. The meeting, taking place June 29, will include an update on the May Sacramento discussion, a brainstorm session about local versus statewide needs, and a discussion about the role of Southern California in the coalition. If you are involved in HCV work and would like to be a part of the June 29 meeting, please email Yazmin Trujillo.

There will also be a larger hepatitis C education meeting in Southern California this fall to bring the coalition's work to the general public.