title: Best strategies for global HCV eradication.
abstract: Worldwide eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is possible through a combination of prevention education, universal clinical and targeted community screening, effective linkage to care and treatment with promising new direct-acting antiviral drug regimens. Universal screening should be offered in all healthcare visits, and parallel community screening efforts should prioritize high-prevalence, high-transmission populations including injection drug users, prison inmates and those with HIV/HCV co-infection. Increasing awareness of HCV infection through screening, improving treatment uptake and cure rates by providing linkage to care and more effective treatment, and ultimately combining education efforts with vaccination campaigns to prevent transmission and reinfection can slow and eventually stop the 'silent epidemic'.
authors.affiliation: Center for AIDS Research, Emory University School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA. lhagan2@emory.edu
authors.forename: Liesl M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hagan
authors.forename: Raymond F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Schinazi
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D014943:Global Health; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011639:Public Opinion; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines