In view of the continued rapid progress in the development of new treatments for hepatitis C infection, the World Health Organization (WHO) is issuing updated treatment guidelines. The guidelines promote the transition to newer, more effective medicines that have the potential to cure most persons living with hepatitis C infection.
WHO issued the first-ever recommendations on the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 2014. Since then, several new medicines have been introduced and marketed. These medicines, called direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), are more effective and easier to use than established treatment regimens. Treatment with DAAs is short in duration (8–12 weeks), easy to take (as few as one pill per day), has few side effects, and results in a cure for more than 90% of people treated. This is a vast improvement from older treatments, which cured less than half of the people treated, required weekly interferon injections for up to 12 months, and often resulted in severe, sometimes fatal, side effects.
Approximately 130 million to 150 million people are estimated to be infected with HCV. Each year, an estimated 700,000 people die from HCV-related complications including fatty liver (cirrhosis), cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) and liver failure. Unfortunately, many people with HCV only learn about their infection when they develop symptoms from cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Because the medicines are becoming available and are easy to use, they have the potential to dramatically reduce the number of deaths due to hepatitis C infection.
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WHO issued the first-ever recommendations on the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 2014. Since then, several new medicines have been introduced and marketed. These medicines, called direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), are more effective and easier to use than established treatment regimens. Treatment with DAAs is short in duration (8–12 weeks), easy to take (as few as one pill per day), has few side effects, and results in a cure for more than 90% of people treated. This is a vast improvement from older treatments, which cured less than half of the people treated, required weekly interferon injections for up to 12 months, and often resulted in severe, sometimes fatal, side effects.
Approximately 130 million to 150 million people are estimated to be infected with HCV. Each year, an estimated 700,000 people die from HCV-related complications including fatty liver (cirrhosis), cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) and liver failure. Unfortunately, many people with HCV only learn about their infection when they develop symptoms from cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Because the medicines are becoming available and are easy to use, they have the potential to dramatically reduce the number of deaths due to hepatitis C infection.
here to edit.
