World Health Organization guidelines on treatment of hepatitis C virus infection: best practice advice from the American College of Physicians

ABSTRACT

In the United States, the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is 1.2 per 100 000 persons, the prevalence is 2.4 million cases, and annual mortality is more than 15 000 deaths (1, 2). Eliminating hepatitis will require diagnosis of 90% of those infected followed by treatment of 80% of those diagnosed (3). The World Health Organization (WHO) updated its evidence-based guideline on chronic HCV infection in July 2018 (Table) (3). Although the WHO guideline is primarily targeted toward policymakers in low- and middle-income countries, recommendations are relevant to the United States, where equity and resource allocation issues are also important considerations. We discuss implications of the WHO recommendations for clinicians and patients in the United States.