Lujan Grisham Announces $1.3M Federal Grant to UNM for NM-Focused Hepatitis C Study

Press Release

Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a $1.3 million grant to the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (UNM) to study the rise of Hepatitis C infections in rural New Mexico.

"I'm pleased that this research has been recognized for its potential to address New Mexico's growing Hepatitis C epidemic," said Rep. Lujan Grisham. "With New Mexico experiencing a disproportionate rise in infections largely among young adults in rural areas, research like this is crucial to developing long-term solutions for prevention, early detection, and treatment."

Researchers at UNM and Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) will be working with the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) to study Hepatitis C infection and treatment services for New Mexico populations at the greatest risk of infection.

"This grant provides an important step in understanding and responding to the Hepatitis C epidemic in New Mexico specifically," said Dr. Kimberly Page, UNM's chief of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Preventive Medicine and the principle investigator on the study. "We will assess DOH prevention services and ECHO treatment services as an integrated approach to addressing Hepatitis C levels in our younger population."

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