Nurse-led Initiation of Hepatitis C Care in Rural Cambodia

A study, published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, assessed whether a nurse-led model of care for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can provide safe and effective diagnosis and treatment in a resource-poor setting in rural Cambodia.

The nurse-led initiation pilot project was implemented by Médecins Sans Frontières in collaboration with the Cambodian health ministry in two operational districts in Battambang Province between 1 June and 30 September 2020. Nursing staff at 27 rural health centres were trained to identify signs of decompensated liver cirrhosis and to provide HCV treatment. Patients without decompensated cirrhosis or another comorbidity were initiated at health centres onto combined treatment with sofosbuvir, 400 mg/day, and daclatasvir, 60 mg/day, orally for 12 weeks. Treatment adherence and effectiveness were assessed during follow-up.

Full study results can be accessed here.