Persons in correctional facilities in Canada: A key population for hepatitis C prevention and control

Abstract

About one in nine Canadians who are infected with hepatitis C spend time in a correctional facility each year. With high rates of current injection drug use and needle sharing, this population may account for a large proportion of new infections. Any national strategy to address hepatitis C should include a focus on persons in correctional facilities, and should build on existing evidence regarding primary, secondary and tertiary prevention.