July 12, 2023
Public Health/Prevention | Tea Leaves
  • Only a third of Americans infected with hepatitis C from 2013 to 2022 were treated and cured, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that pointed to barriers to diagnoses, drugs, and preventive services. The Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan for the United States from the Department of Health and Human Services calls for at least 80 percent of patients infected with Hepatitis C to achieve viral clearance by 2030, but significant gaps exist in patients accessing a cure about a decade after direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents, which are highly effective, became available. The researchers said a course of oral-only treatment with DAA agents for 8 to 12 weeks is recommended for almost everyone with Hepatitis C, and it cures 95 percent or more of cases. (Articles herehere, and here)