Abstract
Objectives:
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major public health challenge around the world including Myanmar and whole Asia. This article outlines awareness and understanding of swiftly evolving newer regimens of Direct Acting Antiviral (DAA) from international guidelines, for Primary Care Practitioners (PCPs)/General Practitioners (GPs). This piece also discusses minimal required tests which still remain as a barrier for treatment access even in developed countries let alone countries/regions with limited resources.
Methods:
Literature (from 2016 onwards from PubMed) and the latest major guidelines (updated 2017) from North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australasia and the World Health Organization were reviewed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system.
Results:
The regimens of DAA including Pangenotypic options (covering all genotypes) are well promising with cure rate over 95% plus well tolerability, fewer side effects and shorter course. Its viral eradication also gives multiple clinical benefits- improvement in quality of life, loss of infectivity, regression of liver fibrosis/ cirrhosis, and lower risk of liver failure & cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) and reduced mortality.
Conclusion:
PCPs/GPs in the community including from remote areas, are actively encouraged to treat those infected persons, given high prevalence and increasing burden if treatment uptake is low. Pangenotypic option offers some advantages with greater simplicity.
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major public health challenge around the world including Myanmar and whole Asia. This article outlines awareness and understanding of swiftly evolving newer regimens of Direct Acting Antiviral (DAA) from international guidelines, for Primary Care Practitioners (PCPs)/General Practitioners (GPs). This piece also discusses minimal required tests which still remain as a barrier for treatment access even in developed countries let alone countries/regions with limited resources.
Methods:
Literature (from 2016 onwards from PubMed) and the latest major guidelines (updated 2017) from North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australasia and the World Health Organization were reviewed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system.
Results:
The regimens of DAA including Pangenotypic options (covering all genotypes) are well promising with cure rate over 95% plus well tolerability, fewer side effects and shorter course. Its viral eradication also gives multiple clinical benefits- improvement in quality of life, loss of infectivity, regression of liver fibrosis/ cirrhosis, and lower risk of liver failure & cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) and reduced mortality.
Conclusion:
PCPs/GPs in the community including from remote areas, are actively encouraged to treat those infected persons, given high prevalence and increasing burden if treatment uptake is low. Pangenotypic option offers some advantages with greater simplicity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 32-40 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Myanmar Journal of Current Medical Practice (MJCMP) |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2019 |
| Externally published | Yes |
