Public health officials, elected leaders, medical experts and patient advocates are set to gather Tuesday in Albany for New York's first-ever Hepatitis C summit.
The group plans to discuss the response to the chronic illness which afflicts more than 200,000 people in the state.
Organizers of the event say hepatitis C now kills more people nationally than HIV.
Panel discussions will touch on prevention, treatment and suggestions for policy makers looking to help eliminate the disease.
Hepatitis C is spread through contact with contaminated blood. The ongoing heroin and opioid epidemic has emerged as a new contributor to the spread of the disease.
© 2017 AP