To explore integrated care models that can accelerate hepatitis C elimination in low- and middle-income countries, emphasizing the urgency of addressing this public health crisis.
Key Findings:
Only 36% of HCV-infected individuals were diagnosed from 2015 to 2022, indicating a significant gap in care.
Decentralization and integration improve access to care and treatment uptake, crucial for meeting WHO targets.
Task-shifting to nonspecialists yields high cure rates comparable to specialists, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.
Interpretation:
Scalable, cost-effective strategies can achieve high treatment uptake and cure rates in resource-constrained settings, emphasizing the critical need for local adaptation of successful models to ensure effectiveness.
Limitations:
Limited generalizability of case studies to all low- and middle-income countries, as health systems vary widely.
Potential challenges in sustaining funding and political commitment, which are essential for long-term success.
Conclusion:
Adopting WHO-aligned policies and integrated care models, along with community involvement, is essential to meet 2030 hepatitis C elimination targets.
