It's infuriating that our government hasn't done more to end this highly infectious disease that disproportionately impacts minorities and people struggling with substance use disorder. Curative drugs first hit the market in 2013. But hepatitis C cases actually rose 63 percent between 2015 and 2019, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In other words, an epidemic that could be wiped out is instead getting worse. As we mark World Hepatitis Day on July 28, we need the U.S government to step up and commit the resources and leadership to end hepatitis C, just like other governments are doing around the world.
Roughly 2.4 million Americans have been diagnosed with hepatitis C. The Department of Health and Human Services believes another million have contracted the virus but don't know it—and may thus be spreading it inadvertently. People with hepatitis C can go years without exhibiting symptoms, even as the virus attacks their livers. Eventually, the viral assault may lead to liver failure, cirrhosis, cancer and even death.
Not long ago, treatment was difficult. Doctors prescribed shots that caused severe side effects and cured only about half of cases.
Today, direct-acting antiviral pills are available that cure over 90 percent of cases in just eight to 12 weeks with minimal side effects. And, thanks to competition, treating hepatitis C has become cheaper. The cost of treatment fell from $899 per day in 2014 to just $201 per day in 2020, a 78 percent drop, according to the health consultancy Milliman.
TO CONTINUE READING-https://www.newsweek.com/we-can-end-hepatitis-c-why-arent-we-opinion-1613565?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source