title: Where we are with point-of-care testing.
abstract: Viral hepatitis claims one million lives each year. Scaling up treatment for hepatitis B and C in resource-limited settings is not possible without access to reliable diagnostic tools. This article gives an overview of current technologies and the pipeline for easy-to-use assays for serological and virological analyses, which can be performed at the site of patient care ('point-of-care assays'). Furthermore, the utility of dried blood spots for hepatitis B and C viral load testing is discussed. In addition to simple and reliable diagnostics, there is a need for a sustainable funding scheme and generic production of antiviral drugs to reduce the burden of viral hepatitis worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Imported and Tropical Diseases, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johannessen
mesh_terms: D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D012699:Serology / Q000379:methods; D019562:Viral Load / Q000379:methods; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods
keywords: hepatitis B; hepatitis C; low-tech; resource-limited settings; viral load