Accelerating Access to Hepatitis C Diagnostics and Treatment

The World Health Organization released a new global progress report “Accelerating access to hepatitis C diagnostics and treatment: Overcoming barriers in low- and middle-income countries”. The report provides new baseline data on the work that remains for accessing to HCV medicines and diagnostics.

Since 2013, WHO has approved more hepatitis direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for the treatment of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2020 which has increase access in low- and middle-income countries, provided generic competition, and reduced prices of a full 12-week treatment course to under US$100. For the first time, the report includes information on access to HCV diagnostics.

The report is instrumental in advocacy efforts to invest in hepatitis C and to strive towards 2030 elimination goals.