Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem in the United States. An estimated 2.7 million to 3.9 million Americans are living with HCV, and transmission continues to occur (1). Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States, and without treatment, 15% to 40% of persons living with the virus will develop cirrhosis or cancer.
Hepatitis C–related mortality has been steadily increasing, with a 50% rate increase from 1999 to 2007. An estimated 45% to 85% of persons with chronic HCV are unaware that they are infected and thus do not receive needed care and treatment (1). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, in the absence of interventions, approximately 1 million HCV-infected persons will die of HCV-related disease. When accompanied by appropriate care and treatment, HCV testing can reduce risk by 70% for hepatocellular carcinoma and by 50% for all-cause mortality (1).
Viral hepatitis was recognized as an important public health problem by the Institute of Medicine in its groundbreaking 2010 report, “Hepatitis and Liver Cancer: A National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis B and C” (2). In this report, the institute identified viral hepatitis as an “underappreciated health concern” and provided recommendations to improve hepatitis prevention and control. In response, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) convened a Viral Hepatitis Interagency Working Group to develop an action plan (3) that provides specific HHS agencies with explicit steps to achieve viral hepatitis prevention goals, including increasing the number of persons living with HCV who are aware of their infection status.
