Elimination of hepatitis C virus in high‐prevalence, low‐income countries: is it feasible?

• Published in: Clinical Dilemmas in Viral Liver Disease pp. 216 - 219
• Main Authors: Abdo, Mahmoud, Eldeen, Hadeel Gamal
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 25.03.2020
• Subjects: direct‐acting antiviral regimen; hepatitis C virus; infection control; low‐income countries; systemic vascular resistance
• ISBN: 9781119533399; 1119533392
• DOI: 10.1002/9781119533481.ch37

The introduction of interferon‐free all‐oral, direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) regimens for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has led to greatly improved chances of cure and, combined with the excellent tolerance profile, raises the possibility of eliminating HCV. Budget limitation is the main challenge for HCV elimination in low‐income countries. The costs of diagnosis and treatment make the HCV elimination challenge more complex. Infection is usually asymptomatic and most patients are unaware of their infected status. Infection control is another major limitation to HCV elimination in low‐income countries. One of the major challenges following the introduction of DAAs was the failure of a significant number of patients to return for evaluation of systemic vascular resistance. In order to eliminate HCV, national policies should be in place to support screening, linkage to care, and affordable treatment.