HCV Workshops

By: Marcus J. Hopkins, Blogger, Community Access National Network

September 2015 will mark the ADAP Advocacy Association’s  8th Annual ADAP Conference -- A National Conversation about the Ryan White CARE Act and the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs -- an event that brings together patients, advocates, activists, program coordinators, and government administrators to discuss issues relevant to the AIDS Drugs Assistance Program (ADAP). The conference is filled with educational and networking opportunities designed to unite all parties in the conversation about what is most important to people living with HIV/AIDS for whom access to ADAP is a vital part of their survival.

Prior to the start of this year’s conference, two free pre-conference workshops are available on September 24th, 2015, focusing specifically on the burgeoning healthcare crisis that is HCV. These two workshops – Nightmare in Appalachia: How Co-Infection is Disproportionately Impacting Rural Communities and Tactical Changes: Why Comprehensive Harm Reduction Policies Work – will feature a group of panelists (myself, included) who will help to lend some level of insight and expertise to what can often be a confusing situation of which to keep track.

I am very honored to be included on this panel, and look forward to bringing my own experiences dealing with access issues in the Appalachian region. With the recent reveal of the White House strategy to further investigate the root causes and potential solutions to the HCV epidemic sweeping across several states, it seems the perfect time to hear the perspective of someone who not only advocates for Appalachians living with HIV and HCV, but who also lives and works in the area

Having lived for most of my life in and around the Appalachian Region, I can personally attest to the unique challenges people living in this geographically unique region of the United States face when attempting to access low-cost, quality healthcare services. There are many issues working in tandem to create seemingly insurmountable barriers to healthcare:

• Higher incidence and concentration of poverty
• Fewer local and regional healthcare options
• Lower healthcare-related education levels (AKA – Healthcare IQ)
• Generational and traditional distrust of authority/government institutions
• Physical geography (distance and ease of travel to healthcare locations)
• Rampant and resurging stigmata related to health conditions

When people speak of Appalachia, many write the area off as a lost cause. Generations of poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, and social immobility have largely prevented many short-term healthcare initiatives from taking hold. Furthermore, most of the Appalachian states have governments leery of accepting or establishing long-term healthcare initiatives and programs designed to work over time, rather than produce immediate results.

It’s often difficult for people to understand how issues of access really do hamper the ability of Appalachians living with HIV and HCV to receive testing, treatment, and rehabilitative services. This is something I hope to bring to these workshops, and I look forward to helping shed some light on the difficult road ahead.

CLICK HERE to register for the pre-con workshops, or to learn more about them.

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Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates.