Controlling HCV: ‘The time for political action is here’

In 2015, WHO initiated a campaign to eliminate hepatitis B and C worldwide.Why did WHO target these infections? Viral hepatitis and its consequences represent the 7th leading cause of global deaths — more than 1.5 million in 2015 — with 95% due to hepatitis B and C. This exceeds deaths from malaria, HIV and tuberculosis and is the only one in which the death rate is increasing.In the absence of additional efforts, WHO estimated an additional 19 million hepatitis-related deaths between 2015 and 2030 and further noted that treatment can prevent deaths in the short- and medium-term.Read More