Early Deaths from Hep C in HI

Lives are being lost in Hawaiʻi

The Department of Health has released Premature Deaths and Disparities Associated with Hepatitis C: The Hawaiʻi Hepatitis C Mortality Report, which finds that:

• 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 U.S. 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 U.S. in 2020. However, disparities in death rates were observed for male and white residents in Hawaiʻi.

For a list of other publications about hepatitis in Hawaiʻi, click here.