DOH report finds hepatitis C was associated death at an earlier age in Hawaiʻi

As part of Liver Cancer Awareness Month in October, the Hawai‘i Department of Health has released a report that found hepatitis C was associated with death at an earlier age in Hawaiʻi. The findings will guide efforts to improve liver health and reduce preventable deaths.

“Premature Deaths and Disparities Associated with Hepatitis C: The Hawaiʻi Hepatitis C Mortality Report,” analyzed mortality data from 2000 to 2021 to understand the burden of hepatitis C infections on local communities.

This novel report was the first comprehensive analysis of hepatitis C death data for Hawaiʻi. The most important findings from the report include:

• People with hepatitis C die at a younger age than the general population. Most (88%) Hawaiʻi residents with hepatitis C-related deaths did not reach age 75, which was lower than the US life expectancy in 2021.
• Many deaths occur before retirement age. Among Hawaiʻi residents with hepatitis C-associated deaths, more than 40% died before the average retirement age of 65 years (as compared to 23% for all causes of death).
• Progress is being made. Hepatitis C death rates were lower than the national average from 2017 to 2020, with 2.63 deaths per 100,000 in Hawaiʻi compared to 3.45 per 100,000 in the US in 2020. However, disparities in death rates were observed for male and white residents in Hawaiʻi.

To stem the tide of preventable deaths, the report makes recommendations on how to eliminate hepatitis C in Hawaiʻi, including universal reflex testing and increased access to curative medication. The report also prioritizes population-based data collection and analysis to share more information with community partners.

“Deaths due to hepatitis C are completely preventable,” said State Health Director Dr. Kenneth Fink. “Although Hawaiʻi has made progress in reducing these deaths, people are still dying unnecessarily from a curable infection. DOH is committed to working with our local coalition, Hep Free Hawaiʻi, and other partners to eliminate this deadly disease.”

The development of this report was the result of a multi-sector collaboration between DOH and external partners, including Hep Free Hawaiʻi and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The full report is available online at https://health.hawaii.gov/harmreduction/new-early-deaths-due-to-hep-c-in-hawai%ca%bbi/.