Report from the International Viral Hepatitis Elimination Meeting (IVHEM), 17–18 November 2017, Amsterdam, the Netherlands: gaps and challenges in the WHO 2030 hepatitis C elimination framework

Abstract

The current global burden of hepatitis C (HCV) is estimated at 71 million people. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that HCV could be eliminated as a public health threat by 2030. A key recommendation to reach this elimination goal is to reduce new infections by 90% and liver-related mortality by 65%. Countries are encouraged by the WHO to develop their own national elimination programmes in order to reach these goals. However, various gaps and challenges, such as the lack of high-quality epidemiological data, stigmatisation, and optimisation of the cascade of care, have arisen in the WHO strategic framework. The International Viral Hepatitis Elimination Meeting (IVHEM) has therefore established an expert panel made of clinicians, virologists, and public health specialists to discuss and address these challenges. This review highlights the outcome and proposed solutions to attempt at facilitating HCV elimination.

Keywords

• hepatitis C, elimination, people who inject drugs