News release
For immediate release
February 6, 2020
HCV ElimiNATION awareness tour travels to Olympia and Seattle
OLYMPIA – The hepatitis C virus (HCV) ElimiNATION awareness bus is traveling to the Puget Sound region after a successful first stop in Spokane at the 9th Annual Spokane Homeless Connect. This is part of a plan to educate people about the importance of HCV screening and connecting to care.
The bus will be parked from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, February 11, at the State Capitol Campus north diagonal and will offer HCV screenings. The bus staff will offer screenings from February 13 to 16 at the 2020 Seattle/King County clinic at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion.
Visitors to the ElimiNATION bus can receive HCV screening along with counseling and care coordination provided by the Hepatitis Education Project, a Seattle nonprofit that provides HCV resources and education to Washington residents. Populations at a higher risk for HCV include baby boomers, people who have used intravenous drugs, people who are homeless, recipients of blood products, or people who have been incarcerated.
The Health Care Authority (HCA) has partnered with the Department of Health (DOH) and AbbVie, a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company, in the HCV elimination effort as part of Governor Jay Inslee’s directive to eliminate HCV in Washington by 2030. AbbVie was selected through a competitive process because it provided the best overall portfolio and demonstrated a commitment to partner with HCA in the Hep C Free Washington initiative.
HCV is the most common blood borne disease in the United States. Between 75 and 85 percent of people infected develop chronic HCV—a lifelong condition that can cause severe scarring (cirrhosis) of the liver, liver cancer, the need for a liver transplant, and even death. About 65,000 Washingtonians live with chronic HCV; approximately 30,000 are covered by state-purchased health care insurance.
For more information
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Media contact
Kennedy Soileau, Deputy Chief Communications Officer
360-725-1571 (office)
360-280-0355 (cell)