[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33843-33845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13332]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Request for Information: Solicits Public Input on the Renewal of 
``Combating the Silent Epidemic of Viral Hepatitis, Action Plan for the 
Prevention, Care, and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis''

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the 
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking 
broad public input as it begins efforts to renew the 2011 Action Plan 
for the Prevention, Care, and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis to include 
actions which can be undertaken over the course of the next three 
years, 2014-2016.

DATES: To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of 
the addresses provided below, no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on July 5, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Electronic responses are strongly preferred and may be 
addressed

[[Page 33844]]

to [email protected]. Written responses should be addressed to: U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Ave. SW., 
Room 443-H, Washington, DC 20201. Attention: 2014 Viral Hepatitis 
Action Plan.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Corinna Dan, RN, MPH, Office of HIV/
AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, (202) 401-9581.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 12, 2011, the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS) issued Combating the Silent Epidemic of 
Viral Hepatitis: Action Plan for the Prevention, Care, and Treatment of 
Viral Hepatitis (Action Plan). The Action Plan details more than 150 
actions to be undertaken over the course of three years by agencies and 
offices across HHS and partners at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the 
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Department of Housing 
and Urban Development that will improve the prevention, diagnosis, and 
treatment of viral hepatitis in the United States. A copy of the Action 
Plan and the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan Interagency Implementation 
Progress Report--Year 1 are available at http://www.aids.gov/news-and-events/hepatitis/.
    The Action Plan put a spotlight on this silent epidemic and its 
growing impact in the United States, where as many as 5.3 million 
persons are living with chronic hepatitis B or C infection and millions 
more are at risk of infection. While viral hepatitis has been addressed 
by various federal research, prevention, care, and treatment programs, 
much of this work has been conducted independently, sometimes in 
isolation from other related efforts. Following the Institute of 
Medicine's (IOM) 2010 report, Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, which 
recommended steps to reduce the threats posed by hepatitis B and 
hepatitis C, Dr. Howard K. Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health, 
convened an interagency workgroup composed of subject matter experts 
from various HHS agencies to review the IOM recommendations and develop 
a comprehensive strategic viral hepatitis action plan that would:
     Address IOM recommendations for viral hepatitis 
prevention, care, and treatment;
     set forth actions to improve viral hepatitis prevention 
and ensure that infected persons are identified and provided care and 
treatment; and,
     improve coordination of all activities related to viral 
hepatitis across HHS and promote collaborations with other government 
agencies and nongovernmental organizations.
    Critical input into the Action Plan was also provided by 
stakeholders from other federal agencies, professional societies, and 
state, local, and community partners. The actions presented in the 
Action Plan represent efforts to be undertaken in calendar year 2011, 
2012, or 2013. Some of the actions outlined in the Action Plan can be 
accomplished by using existing resources through improved coordination 
and integration, while others are subject to the availability of funds.
    The Action Plan is organized into six priority areas which 
correspond to the 2010 IOM recommendations:

Priority 1--Educating Providers and Communities To Reduce Health 
Disparities

GOAL 1.1 Build a U.S. health care workforce prepared to prevent and 
diagnose viral hepatitis and provide care and treatment to infected 
persons.
GOAL 1.2 Decrease health disparities by educating communities about 
the benefits of viral hepatitis prevention, care, and treatment.

Priority 2--Improving Testing, Care, and Treatment to Prevent Liver 
Disease and Cancer

GOAL 2.1 Identify persons infected with viral hepatitis early in the 
course of their disease.
GOAL 2.2 Link and refer persons infected with viral hepatitis to 
care and treatment.
GOAL 2.3 Improve access to and quality of care and treatment for 
persons infected with viral hepatitis.
GOAL 2.4 Advance research to facilitate viral hepatitis prevention 
and enhance care and treatment for infected persons.

Priority 3--Strengthening Surveillance to Detect Viral Hepatitis 
Transmission and Disease

GOAL 3.1 Build a network of state and local surveillance systems 
with sufficient capacity to monitor viral hepatitis transmission and 
disease.
GOAL 3.2 Monitor viral-hepatitis-associated health disparities.
GOAL 3.3 Monitor provision and impact of viral hepatitis prevention, 
care, and treatment services.
GOAL 3.4 Develop and implement new technologies and laboratory 
procedures to improve viral hepatitis surveillance.

Priority 4--Eliminating Transmission of Vaccine-Preventable Viral 
Hepatitis

GOAL 4.1 Eliminate mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B.
GOAL 4.2 Achieve universal hepatitis A and B vaccination for 
vulnerable adults.
GOAL 4.3 Design and test new or improved viral hepatitis vaccines 
and determine the indications for their optimal use.

Priority 5--Reducing Viral Hepatitis Caused by Drug Use Behaviors

GOAL 5.1 Ensure that persons who inject drugs have access to viral 
hepatitis prevention, care, and treatment services.
GOAL 5.2 Mobilize community resources to prevent viral hepatitis 
caused by injection drug use.
GOAL 5.3 Provide persons who inject drugs with access to care and 
substance abuse treatment to prevent transmission and progression of 
disease.
GOAL 5.4 Expand access to and delivery of hepatitis prevention, 
care, and treatment services in correctional settings.
GOAL 5.5 Advance research to improve prevention of viral hepatitis 
among persons who use drugs.

Priority 6--Protecting Patients and Workers From Health Care-Associated 
Viral Hepatitis

GOAL 6.1 Reduce transmission of viral hepatitis to patients 
resulting from misuse of medical devices and drugs.
GOAL 6.2 Reduce iatrogenic transmission of viral hepatitis 
associated with blood, organs, and tissues.
GOAL 6.3 Reduce occupational transmission of viral hepatitis.
GOAL 6.4 Enhance understanding of the preventable causes of viral 
hepatitis transmission in health care settings.

    Following the Action Plan's release, agencies and offices across 
HHS began working to implement the actions assigned to them in the 
Action Plan. To support these efforts, HHS convened a Viral Hepatitis 
Action Plan Implementation Group (VHIG) and charged it with 
coordinating, supporting, and overseeing activities related to the 
Action Plan. The VHIG comprises representatives from across HHS and 
other federal agencies and is chaired by Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases.
    The opportunity provided by the renewal of the Action Plan for the 
Prevention, Care, and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis for 2014, 2015, 2016 
offers many benefits such as:
     Identification of measures to assess progress on 
addressing viral hepatitis in the U.S.;
     identification of gaps in viral hepatitis services and 
data;
     inclusion of new input from stakeholders;
     recommendations for effective viral hepatitis program 
models; and,
     application of lessons learned since the release of the 
2011 Action Plan.
    Accordingly, this request for information seeks public comment on 
several key dimensions of a renewed Action Plan for the Prevention, 
Care, and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis, including but not limited to 
the following:

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    1. Considering the six priority areas and related goals, please 
respond to the following questions:
    a. Are there critical gaps in viral hepatitis activities which 
should be given a major focus in a renewed Action Plan? Provide 
background and rationale for their inclusion. These gaps may have been 
included in the 2011 Viral Hepatitis Action Plan or they may be new.
    b. Are there effective models and best practices that should be 
considered for replication? Please include rationale for their use in 
the field/area of viral hepatitis.
    2. What are the specific measures that should be used to track 
progress of implementation of the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan and/or 
the progress of addressing the epidemics of viral hepatitis? Provide 
background and rationale for the use of these measures.
    3. What specific activities within and/or components of the 
Affordable Care Act offer substantial opportunities to support improved 
viral hepatitis health care services and data? Describe how this might 
evolve.
    4. How can government better engage with non-governmental 
stakeholders around the implementation of the National Viral Hepatitis 
Action Plan? Provide examples/suggestions of how this could be 
integrated into a renewed Action Plan and its implementation.
    5. What additional information not specifically addressed elsewhere 
in this RFI that would be important for the government to bear in mind 
in developing a renewed National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan?

    Dated: May 21, 2013.
Ronald O. Valdiserri,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, Office of 
the Assistant Secretary for Health.
[FR Doc. 2013-13332 Filed 6-4-13; 8:45 am]
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