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A new epidemiological report from Public Health France, gives encouraging news concerning the elimination of the Hepatitis C virus in France, but if efforts remain to be made.
Will hepatitis C disappear by 2025 in France? According to Professor François Dabis, President of the second road of the National Sexual Health Strategy, it is a project “ambitious but achievable”. A statement made in the latest epidemiological bulletin from Public Health France, dated February 8, 2022.
Almost four years ago, in March 2018, France launched the 2018-2022 Prevention plan to improve the overall health of French people. This plan contained 25 measures intended to reduce in particular C (HCV) in France by 2025.
Antivirals, an effective weapon
In this new roadmap of February 8, 2022, Santé Publique France draws up a progress report. “This assessment largely reflects the situation just before the Covid-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted our health system, and in particular the demand for and supply of screening. Thus, in 2019, the figures show a regression of hepatitis C in terms of management of Long-Term Condition (ALD)“mainly thanks to the use of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) covered by health insurance since 2014 and prescribed universally since 2017.”
Hepatitis C, what is it?
As a reminder, Hepatitis C is liver disease which is caused by an RNA virus of the Flavivirus family. The hepatitis C virus is mainly transmitted through the blood, mainly by sharing needles in the case of injection drug use, or by transmission of bitter to the child at birth. Sexual transmission exists but remains rare.
A notable drop in cases and hospitalizations
“The estimate of the prevalence of chronic hepatitis C was 0.15% in 2019 for the whole of the national territory, i.e. 100,600 patients”, tells us the report. In comparison, in 2004, the prevalence in the general population was 367,055 people (0.84%). The figures also indicate that in Mayotte the prevalence is even lower (0.10%). Regarding hospitalizations, linked to chronic hepatitis C, they are divided by 4 and concern only one out of 1,000 hospital care. “The remarkable efficacy of DAAs in achieving a cure has dramatically reduced in-patient mortality.”, Salute the author again.
Efforts to be made for the prison population
But efforts still need to be made, according to specialists. In the epidemiological report, particular mention is made of a special report on the prison population. According to data from the National AIDS and Hepatitis Council, this population who “combines many risk factors for acquiring this infection”, suffers from unequal treatment. The tools and treatments being existing and better developed today, it is at the level of screening that things must be improved, according to Public Health France.
With regard to the rest of the population, the impact of the health crisis on the screening efforts provided in recent years worries Professor François Dabis about the good continuation of the elimination of hepatitis C, within 3 years. , which nevertheless seems, according to him, “on the right track”.