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Hepatitis C Screening in Lithuania: First-Year Results and Scenarios for Achieving WHO Elimination Targets

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Janina Petkeviciene, Alexis Voeller, Egle Ciupkeviciene, Devin Razavi-Shearer, Valentina Liakina, Ligita Jancoriene, Edita Kazenaite, Viaceslavas Zaksas, Gediminas Urbonas and Limas Kupcinskas


Summary

The World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined a set of targets to achieve eliminating hepatitis C by 2030. In May 2022, Lithuanian health authorities initiated a hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening program to start working towards elimination. In the program, bonus was given to general practitioners (GPs) to promote and conduct anti-HCV tests for two situations: (1) one time testing for individuals born in 1945–1994 and (2) annual HCV testing for persons who inject drugs or are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) regardless of age. This study aimed to model the current viral hepatitis C epidemiological status in Lithuania and to outline the requirements for WHO elimination targets using the first-year HCV screening results.

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