The arrival of direct antiviral agents against hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 2014 was a before and after in the treatment of the disease. However, its high price made accurate estimates about the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) essential to guide health policies. For this reason, at the end of 2015 the digestive service of the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital entered into an ambitious epidemiological study whose basic objectives were:
– Determine the seroprevalence and prevalence of HCV viremia and analyze the factors associated with it.
– Evaluate the viability of a population screening program and subsequent treatment of hepatitis C, based on these current epidemiological data of our country.
With these previous objectives, the Gastroenterology and Hepatology service of the IDIVAL and Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital designed a multicenter epidemiological study (Santander, Madrid, Valencia) led by the IDIVAL. The study included more than 12,000 people who adequately represented the more than 30 million people between 20 and 74 years of age residing in Spain in 2015.
The following figure summarizes the organization of the study:
The results of the study show that the prevalence of active HCV infection (viremia) is clearly lower than previously estimated (0.4% in the estimated population segment), a very relevant figure, only 25-30% of anti-HCV positive patients are viral. Once the previous data were obtained, a cost-effectiveness study was carried out that demonstrated, without a doubt, the viability of a population screening program and subsequent treatment of hepatitis C in Spain (Figure 2).
The results of the study have been published in the Journal of Viral Hepatitis (Q1 in infectious diseases), and are expected to contribute to reassess the National Strategic Plan against HCV and continue to lead the elimination of HCV worldwide.
Ref. Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in a country with universal access to direct‐acting antiviral agents: Data for designing a cost‐effective elimination policy in Spain. Javier Crespo Antonio Cuadrado Christie Perelló Joaquin Cabezas Susana Llerena Javier Llorca Sergio Cedillo Elba Llop María Desamparados Escudero Marta Hernández Conde … See all authors. First published: 22 November 2019 https://doi.org/10.1111/jvh.13238
