SPECIAL ISSUE: HEPATITIS C PREVENTION AND CARE FOR INJECTING DRUG USERS



Guest editors: Samuel R. Friedman (editorial coordinator), Walter Cavalieri, Nick Crofts, Annie Madden, Avril Taylor, Nick Walsh



Outline abstracts or other short descriptions of what you propose to write (not exceeding 350 words) are invited for contributions to a forthcoming special issue of The International Journal of Drug Policy on responses to the hepatitis epidemic among IDUs. This will both update the special focus in IJDP 15(2) on "Hepatitis C and injecting drug use" and also attempt to take stock of the growing extent of action and policy initiatives that focus on hepatitis C.



Since both practice and problems often run far ahead of evaluation in the harm reduction field, this special issue will attempt to include descriptive materials on both (1) interesting initiatives and policies that have been established, and (2) problems that exist in making effective services available to users; as well as scientific papers, using qualitative or quantitative research methods, on the outcomes and extent of programmes and policies in this field.



We thus invite 7 types of contribution:

• Scientific review papers (max 7,000 words)
• Original empirical papers (4,000 - 6,000 words)
• Short research reports (2,000 - 3,000 words)
• Descriptions of interesting (positive or negative) programmes or policies (2,000 - 5,000 words)
• Descriptions of problems in gaining access to needed services or of programme structures or staff behaviours that make such services inhospitable to users. (2,000 - 5,000 words)
• Policies and/or historical analyses (max 5,000 words)
• Commentaries (max 4,000 words)

We are especially interested in contributions on the following topics:

• Policies and programmes on prevention including prevention by users' groups, syringe exchanges, drug treatment programs, organizations of people living with hepatitis C, outreach or other street-based programs, clinics, hospitals, jails, prisons, public health authorities
• Programmes for youth and young users, including programmes to prevent users from beginning to inject drugs (these should include analyses of hepatitis C work in such programs)
• Policies and programmes on providing or assisting with care and/or treatment for those with hepatitis C, including programmes by users' groups, syringe exchanges, drug treatment programmes, organizations of people living with hepatitis C, outreach or other street-based programs, clinics, hospitals, jails, prisons, public health authorities.
• Programmes for those coinfected with hepatitis C and HIV

The guest editors are particularly interested in including personal articles, stories, and analytical articles based on the direct experiences (including collective efforts to improve things) of people affected by hepatitis C including current injecting drug users, former injecting drug users. This includes users and former users with hepatitis C or who work with those with hepatitis C and those who are at risk of getting hepatitis C. These articles might cover issues such as personal stories about living with hepatitis C; facing discrimination and stigma; experiences trying to avoid getting hepatitis C in community settings and/or in prisons; pregnancy; childbirth and parenting when you have hepatitis C; difficulties of gaining access to treatment for the disease; and what it is like to undergo hepatitis C treatment. Thus we especially seek to include articles by those with experience in these areas. If you are such a person but feel that you would like assistance writing your abstract or other brief proposal, co-editor Annie Madden (AnnieM@aivl.org.au) will either assist you or find someone else who can.



The deadline for submission of outline abstracts is April 1, 2006.



Outline abstracts should be sent to friedman@ndri.org with copies to Hazel Mann at ijdp@imperial.ac.uk. Once selected, the deadline for completion of draft contributions is October 1, 2006. The special issue will be published in Volume 18 of IJDP, either issue 2 or 3 (March or May 2007).