Incidence, mortality, and burden of hepatitis B and C and geographical distribution in Iran during 2008-2015

Background: This study aimed at estimating the incidence, mortality, and burden of Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) viruses and their trends from 2008 to 2015. Methods: The Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALYs) index was applied to calculate the burden of the diseases by age, sex, time, and locations. The incidence and demographic data were obtained from HBV and HCV surveillance system, and the data on natural history was extracted from the cohort studies; moreover, the data on the standard life expectancy was obtained from the Iranian life table 2016. The two values of 0.03 and 21.5 yr were set as the discount rate and mean standard duration of the disease for both types of hepatitis. Results: The burden of HBV decreased from 13735 to 78277.6 yr, but there was an increase in the burden of HCV from 5174 to 14395 yr over the studied period. The burden of both types of hepatitis was higher among males than females. The incidence of HBV increased from 46611 to 22996 cases, and the incidence of HCV increased from 1210 to 3939 cases. The HBV decreased from 1925 to 1394 cases; however, the number of deaths caused by HCV increased from 197 to 583 cases over the studied period. The share of YLLs raised from 5 to 10 for HBV whereas it changed from 23 to 62 for HCV over the studied years. Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, and Golestan had the highest and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kurdistan, and Kermanshah had the lowest adjusted burden of HBV per 1000 population. Conclusion: Although the incidence, mortality, and burden of HBV declined over the eight studied years, these values increased dramatically for HCV. © 2019, Iranian Journal of Public Health. All rights reserved

Patterns of Drug Use and Related Factors Among Prisoners in Iran: Results from the National Survey in 2015

Drug use by prisoners is one of the world�s most important problems. We sought to determine the pattern of drug use behavior and related factors among prisoners of Iran in 2015. This cross-sectional study was part of the bio-behavioral surveillance survey conducted among 6200 prisoners in 26 prison sites in Iran who were selected through multi-stage sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews which inquired about participants� demographics and drug use behaviors. We analyzed study data using descriptive statistics, and crude and adjusted logistic regressions, in STATA-12. Of all prisoners, 74.0 had a history of lifetime drug use, and 16.6 of drug users had a history of lifetime injection drug use (IDU). According to the results of a multivariate logistic regression, male sex, being between the ages of 24 and 45, having a history of imprisonment, and having a history of lifetime high-risk sexual behavior were significant risk factors for lifetime drug use. Also, male sex, single status, and a history of previous imprisonment were significant risk factors for lifetime IDU. The prevalence of drug use in Iran�s prison population is high and alarming. There is a continuing need for harm reduction programs, including the methadone maintenance treatment, among imprisoned drug users and IDUs. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature