Board Chair of AFEW International Jeffrey V. Lazarus has recently become one of the 2017 HCV Change Makers from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The Change Makers programme recognises 18 Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) innovators doing exemplary work in the programme’s three thematic areas: multi-stakeholder approaches; screening; and technology. Their ground-breaking efforts can inspire and guide their peers on the path to HCV elimination. The programme also aims to spark debate and action on HCV policy and access to care.
AFEW‘s Board Chair is awarded for his work in technology. Being the associate researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic, and affiliated professor at the Centre of Excellence for Health, Immunity and Infections, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Jeffrey Lazarus leads a large-scale digital survey of Hepatitis C patients in Europe. Together with leading stakeholders, Prof Lazarus and his colleagues now plan to repeat the survey on a regular basis, ensuring alignment with the objectives of the WHO Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis.
“The EIU changemaker award is a great recognition of the importance of involving patients in the hepatitis prevention, treatment and care that they need and deserve. My colleagues and I will continue to look for ways to further this agenda,” Jeffrey Lazarus is saying.
Hep-CORE’s 39 questions ask about national coordination, disease monitoring, prevention, testing and treatment. Among them: In your country, are there any HCV testing/screening sites outside of hospitals for the general population? In your country, is there a clear linkage-to-care mechanism so that people who are diagnosed with Hepatitis B and C are referred directly to a physician who can manage their care? Prof Lazarus and his team used Research Electronic Data Capture, an open-access web-based online data collection tool, to design the survey.
