Abstract
In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) set a target for eliminating viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030. However, while today's highly effective and well-tolerated pangenotypic direct-acting antiviral regimens have maximized simplification of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment, there remain a plethora of barriers to HCV screening, diagnosis, and linkage to care. As of 2017, only 19% of the estimated 71 million individuals living with chronic HCV worldwide were diagnosed and in 2015 to 2016, only 21% of diagnosed individuals had accessed treatment. Simplification and decentralization of the HCV care cascade would bolster patient engagement and support the considerable scale-up needed to achieve WHO targets. Recent developments in HCV screening and diagnosis, together with reduced pretreatment assessment and on-treatment monitoring requirements, can further streamline the care continuum, ensuring patients are linked to care quickly and earlier in the disease course, and minimize clinic visits.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 392-402 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Seminars in Liver Disease |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 28 Jul 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2020 |
Keywords
- care cascade
- diagnosis
- hepatitis C virus
- screening
- treatment
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hepatology
