Difficult to treat populations with hepatitis C infection: Prisoners, people who inject drugs, and viral resistance

Abstract

It is estimated that 71 million people are living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection globally. The availability of all-oral direct acting antiviral (DAA) medications for HCV infection has revolutionised treatment which is now well tolerated, short in duration and highly effective and cure rates exceed 95% in clinical trials. In this context, the World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed targets for the elimination of HCV as a public health threat by 2030. This includes an 80% reduction in HCV incidence and 65% reduction in HCV-related mortality. Achieving these targets will require sustained effort in diagnosing and treating HCV infection, as well as the development and implementati..