While Mr. Bac worked as a Lab Officer at a local hospital and spent hours processing patient tests, being a hepatitis patient was never a consideration. And after learning of his diagnosis, Mr. Bac was overwhelmed and experienced feelings of nervousness and desperation.
People with a history of drug use, high risk sexual behaviours and needle usage often are at higher risk for hepatitis.1 However, the reality is that anyone can get hepatitis. The fear of judgement discourages people from getting tested. Today, stigma and discrimination continue to be a barrier to testing and care.1
Mr. Bac quickly moved from hopelessness to hopeful – spending time connecting with colleagues in the infectious diseases space and investing time to learn more about the disease. Through his research and in speaking to his colleagues, Mr. Bac learned that hepatitis C is a highly curable infection. He started treatment in 2016 and in three months, he tested negative.
Although Mr. Bac has fully recovered from the disease, he continues to undergo regular checkups and tests for hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance annually. Today, Mr. Bac is a passionate advocate for screening and testing. He uses his story to inspire others to prioritise regular check-ups, emphasising the importance of an early diagnosis to improving patient outcomes and reducing the strain on healthcare systems.
Viral hepatitis is a major public health threat and a leading cause of death worldwide. An estimated 354 million people are living with hepatitis B or C, leading to around 1.1 million deaths per year.2
A new class of anti-HCV drugs, direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), has revolutionised treatment for chronic hepatitis C, with cure rates of over 95% in 8-12 weeks.1 The goal of treatment is to eradicate hepatitis C virus from the body and effectiveness of treatment is determined by measuring hepatitis C viral load before and after treatment.
Despite the availability of DAAs that can cure more than 95% of persons with hepatitis C infection, access to diagnosis and treatment is low. Between 2015-2022, only 20% of people living with hepatitis C were treated.3
As new hepatitis C infections are usually asymptomatic, few people are diagnosed when the infection is recent. And in those people who develop a chronic hepatitis C infection, it is often undiagnosed because it remains asymptomatic until symptoms develop to serious liver damage. According to the WHO, of those with chronic HCV infection, the risk of cirrhosis ranges from 15% to 30% within 20 years.2
Diagnosing viral hepatitis is a critical first step in limiting the harmful impact of the disease. The right diagnostic portfolio offers a broad range of tools that address key population needs—from increasing accessibility to decreasing the number of patients lost to follow-up and beyond. Additionally, early detection and treatment can prevent the escalation of hepatitis to cirrhosis or HCC, which may be irreversible.
References
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Viral hepatitis.
World Health Organisation, Hepatitis,
World Health Organisation. World Hepatitis Summit 2022 statement.
World Health Organisation. Hepatitis C.
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