TACKLE Project

TACKLE Project

Targeted Access to Community Knowledge, Linkage to treatment and Education- Dr. Waridibo Allison, an infectious diseases and internal medicine doctor at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio, recently partnered with South Central AHEC to lead an area network of five Ryan White HIV/AIDS program (RWHAP) funded clinics in implementing comprehensive, effective HCV screening and care treatment systems in people living with HIV including people of color across four South Texas counties. Hepatitis C (HCV) is the primary cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the U.S. Southern states including Texas account for 44% of new diagnoses of HIV infection while containing only 37% of the U.S population. Texas Department of State Health Services (TX DSHS) data show that in 2014 in Laredo and San Antonio, 98% and 65% of new diagnoses of HIV respectively were in Hispanics; 100% and 75% of late diagnoses respectively were in Hispanics. Furthermore, TX DSHS have recently presented data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing that Bexar County is a molecular genetic surveillance epicenter for a cluster of increasing transmission of HIV infection affecting Hispanic men. HIV infection accelerates the progression of liver disease in people co-infected with both HIV and HCV compared to those with HCV only. It is therefore important that co-infected patients are cured of HCV infection.

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