A Road Map to Hepatitis C Elimination: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.

Abstract

There are an estimated 3.5 million people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the United States, resulting in 15 000 HCV-related deaths in 2019 and approximately $7 billion annually in healthcare costs. Although the United States had experienced declining incidence, since 2010 hepatitis C infections have rebounded. The history of HCV treatment can be seen as a series of scientific triumphs that should be celebrated as the accomplishments that they represent. But new treatments will only get us so far: Social determinants of health drive the majority of health outcomes. Without addressing the factors that impact the lives of our patients, we will fall short in the outcomes we seek. Public health systems, hospital networks, and governments must work more cohesively to eradicate hepatitis C. We have the tools, both biomedical and social. The end of hepatitis C depends on our willingness to make use of them.