Skip to main content


U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government
              Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you knowDot gov**Official websites use .gov**
                 A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
                  HTTPS**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                 A **lock** (A locked padlock) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 
  Menu Close
          HHS Search block
    Search
        








  
  
    

  
      

                                      About HHS
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Programs & Services
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Grants & Contracts
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Laws & Regulations Breadcrumb
    Home
                              Viral Hepatitis
                              Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan
                              Priority Populations
 Navigate to:
  Viral Hepatitis
                                            
            
            Learn About Viral Hepatitis
                          
            
            Hepatitis A Basics
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Hepatitis B Basics
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Hepatitis C Basics
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Take Action
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Data and Trends
    
                                                                
                                                                                        
                          
      
      
      
      Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan
                          
            
            Overview
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Developing Plan
    
                                                  
                                                                  
                          
      
      
      
      Priority Populations
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Viral Hepatitis Federal Implementation Plan
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Monitoring Progress
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Communications Toolkit
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Prior Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plans
    
                                                                
                                                                  
            
      
      
      
      Policies and Guidelines
                          
            
            Affordable Care Act
    
                                                                
                                                                  
            
      
      
      
      Programs and Initiatives
                          
            
            Mapping Hepatitis Elimination in Action
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Addressing Reimbursement in Viral Hepatitis Integration of Prevention and Care Services
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Evaluation of Linkage to Care Programs in Support of Hepatitis C Elimination
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Viral Hepatitis Quality Measures
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Webinars, Videos, and Training
    
                                                  
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Awareness Months and DaysText resize icon

                    




Priority Populations








  
  
    

  
      





Although viral hepatitis affects millions of Americans nationwide from all social, economic, and racial and ethnic groups, it disproportionately impacts certain populations and communities. Hepatitis prevention and treatment efforts can be more efficient and effective by identifying and focusing efforts on those populations that bear a disproportionately higher burden of infection and disease, referred to in the Viral Hepatitis Plan as priority populations. The Plan uses nationwide surveillance data to determine the priority populations. Focusing on the priority populations will reduce health disparities and put the nation on the path toward elimination of viral hepatitis. This approach should not diminish efforts to increase awareness, prevention, treatment, and integration of viral hepatitis efforts more generally, for all populations.National incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates were used to identify a small number of groups most impacted by each type of hepatitis. Of note, national data on many populations are limited, and the data-driven approach of this plan to identify priority populations does not result in every population at higher risk or prevalence being included among the priority populations. For example, more information is needed at the national level on the viral hepatitis risks, incidence, prevalence, and mortality of non-U.S.-born, justice-involved, and sexual and gender minority populations. The Viral Hepatitis Plan includes strategies to improve services among these as well as other populations and to address the data gaps.Priority Populations by Hepatitis Type
                        Hepatitis A
    Incidence (Acute):People who use drugsPeople experiencing homelessness
      Hepatitis B
    Incidence (Acute):People who inject drugsPrevalence (Chronic):Asian and Pacific IslanderBlack, non-HispanicMortality:Asian and Pacific IslanderBlack, non-Hispanic
      Hepatitis C
    Incidence (Acute):People who inject drugsAmerican Indian/Alaska NativePrevalence (Chronic):People who inject drugsBlack, non-HispanicPeople born 1945-1964People with HIVMortality:American Indian/Alaska NativeBlack, non-HispanicPeople born 1945-1964
                        Priority Populations and Summary National-Level Data**for Calendar Year 2018 (unless otherwise indicated)**National-level data for calendar year 2018 illustrate the disparate impact of hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C (see Table below). Additional data are available in CDC’s Viral Hepatitis Surveillance—United States, 2018 and are posted on CDC’s website as they become available. This report is the source for all data cited below unless otherwise specified.
                        People Who Use and/or Inject Drugs
    Hepatitis A outbreaks have sickened more than 30,000 people across the United States since 2016; 26% of outbreak-associated patients in California, Kentucky, Michigan, and Utah are homeless and use drugs.Among reported cases with IDU information available, 50% of hepatitis A, 36% of acute hepatitis B, and 72% of acute hepatitis C cases report IDU.The rates of acute hepatitis B and acute hepatitis C cases are highest among age groups most impacted by the nation’s opioid crisis (aged 30–49 years for hepatitis B and aged 20–39 years for hepatitis C).
      People Experiencing Homelessness
    People experiencing homelessness comprise a large proportion (33% in outbreaks in California, Kentucky, Michigan, and Utah in 2017) of people infected during the person-to-person hepatitis A outbreaks starting in 2016.
      Asian and Pacific Islander (API)
    Asian Americans account for 58% of Americans living with chronic hepatitis B but comprise only 6% of the total U.S. population. The prevalence of chronic hepatitis B among non-Hispanic Asians (3.41%) was 31 times the prevalence among non-Hispanic whites (0.11%).API had a higher hepatitis B–related mortality rate (2.1 per 100,000) compared to non-Hispanic whites (0.27 per 100,000).
      Black, Non-Hispanic
    Non-Hispanic Blacks had a higher hepatitis B–related mortality rate (0.7 per 100,000) compared to non-Hispanic whites (0.27 per 100,000) and a higher hepatitis C–related mortality rate (6.31 per 100,000) compared to non-Hispanic whites (3.35 per 100,000).African immigrants account for approximately 12% of all Americans living with chronic hepatitis B. The prevalence of chronic hepatitis B among non-Hispanic Blacks (0.69%) was more than 6 times the prevalence among non-Hispanic whites (0.11%).Among people aged 20–59 years and 60 years or older, non-Hispanic Blacks were more likely [Odds Ratio (OR)=1.6 (CI: 1.1, 2.3) and OR=10.0 (CI: 4.9, 20.1), respectively] to have chronic hepatitis C than all other race/ethnicities.
      American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN)
    The incidence rate of acute hepatitis C among AI/AN has remained substantially higher than other racial/ethnic populations from 2003 to 2018. In 2018, the rate of incident acute hepatitis C was higher among AI/AN (3.6 per 100,000) than among non-Hispanic whites (1.3 per 100,000).The age-adjusted, hepatitis C–related mortality rate among AI/AN has been higher than all other racial/ethnic populations since 2013. The mortality rate among AI/AN was 2.7 times the rate among non-Hispanic whites, 1.4 times the rate among non-Hispanic Blacks, 2.0 times the rate among Hispanics, and 6.3 times the rate among APIs in 2018.
      People Born from 1945 through 1965
    Approximately 75% of people with chronic hepatitis C were born from 1945 through 1965.People aged 55–64 years and 65–74 years (19.7 per 100,000 and 14.8 per 100,000, respectively) had higher mortality rates than any other age group.
      People with HIV
    Among people with HIV who also inject drugs, 62–81% were coinfected with hepatitis C.Among people with HIV in 15 U.S. states and two cities, 6.7% were coinfected with hepatitis C.HIV patients coinfected with hepatitis B or hepatitis C have higher liver-related morbidity and mortality, as well as higher overall mortality, than patients only infected with hepatitis B or hepatitis C.
                        Stay Informed        





Subscribe to email updates for the latest information about viral hepatitis.Sign Up

                    
  


Content created by Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) Content last reviewed June 5, 2024 Back to top
    Contact HHS
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Careers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      HHS FAQs
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Nondiscrimination NoticeHHS Archive
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Accessibility Statement
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Privacy Policy
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Viewers & PlayersBudget/Performance
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Inspector General
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Web Site Disclaimers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      EEO/No Fear ActFOIA
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      The White House
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      USA.gov
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
        Sign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases.

Sign Up
  HHS Headquarters
          200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
                  Washington, D.C. 20201
                  Toll Free Call Center: 1-877-696-6775​ Disclaimer Policy: Links with this icon () mean that you are leaving the HHS website. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cannot guarantee the accuracy of a non-federal website.
                  Linking to a non-federal website does not mean that HHS or its employees endorse the sponsors, information, or products presented on the website. HHS links outside of itself to provide you with further information.
                  You will be bound by the destination website's privacy policy and/or terms of service when you follow the link.
                  HHS is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on private websites. For more information on HHS's web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.
 Continue
                  Go back