AASLD Hepatitis Elimination Efforts
Approximately 71 million people worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) making it one of the world’s most common infectious diseases and public health threats. The epidemic continues to grow, with 1.75 million new infections annually. In 2016, the World Health Assembly ─ the forum through which the World Health Organization (WHO) is governed by 194 member states─initiated a worldwide goal for HCV elimination, defined as a reduction in HCV related mortality by 65 percent and new incidences by 80 percent by 2030. According to WHO, only 12 countries are on track to meet this goal.