The economic argument for hepatitis B treatment simplification and expansion.

One component of decisions regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) treatment simplification and expansion is the economic perspective. Literature was reviewed for studies which provide estimates for the economic impact of simplifying and expanding treatment eligibility. Eight published studies and four unpublished studies were included and all but one subset of one study found that expanding treatment criteria would result in programs that would be at minimum cost-effective and most often highly cost-effective.

Hepatitis C screening in Lithuania: first-year results and scenarios for achieving WHO elimination targets.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined a set of targets to achieve eliminating hepatitis C by 2030. In May 2022, Lithuanian health authorities initiated a hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening program to start working towards elimination. In the program, bonus was given to general practitioners (GPs) to promote and conduct anti-HCV tests for two situations: (1) one time testing for individuals born in 1945-1994 and (2) annual HCV testing for persons who inject drugs or are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) regardless of age.

The current and future burden of hepatitis B in Switzerland: a modelling study.

Background And Aims: Chronic hepatitis B infection (defined as sustained detection of hepatitis B virus [HBV] surface antigen [HBsAg] protein in serum) is a leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver-related deaths. A situation analysis carried out by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health estimated the HBsAg prevalence in Switzerland to be 0.53% (95% CI: 0.

The impact of immigration on hepatitis B burden in the United States: a modelling study.

Background: The 2016 World Health Assembly endorsed the elimination of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections by 2030. However, the HBV prevalence in Western countries, where the historical prevalence is low and highly impacted by immigration trends, remains uncertain making planning difficult. We aimed to develop a more accurate estimate of HBV prevalence and identify key immigrant populations that need to be screened, vaccinated, and treated to achieve the elimination targets.

Cost-effectiveness of treating all hepatitis B-positive individuals in the United States.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of liver disease and related mortality globally. However, most of the infected individuals in the United States remain undiagnosed and untreated. There is a need to understand more completely the economic and disease burden impact of removing treatment restrictions and increasing diagnosis and treatment.

Hepatitis D double reflex testing of all hepatitis B carriers in low-HBV- and high-HBV/HDV-prevalence countries.

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection occurs as a coinfection with hepatitis B and increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, decompensated cirrhosis, and mortality compared to hepatitis B virus (HBV) monoinfection. Reliable estimates of the prevalence of HDV infection and disease burden are essential to formulate strategies to find coinfected individuals more effectively and efficiently. The global prevalence of HBV infections was estimated to be 262,240,000 in 2021.

Now is the Time to Scale Up Birth-Dose Hepatitis B Vaccine in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Fewer than half of the world's infants have access to the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine (HBV), which prevents mother-to-child transmission of HBV and subsequent liver cancer. Now is the time to expand access for infants born in low-resource settings.

Cost-effectiveness modelling of birth and infant dose vaccination against hepatitis B virus in Ontario from 2020 to 2050.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends universal birth dose vaccination for hepatitis B virus (HBV), yet only 3 provinces and territories in Canada provide birth dose vaccination, and Canadian-born children in Ontario are acquiring HBV before adolescent vaccination. We sought to determine whether birth and/or infant HBV vaccination is cost-effective.

Methods: We used a dynamic HBV model that incorporates population by year, disease stage, sex and the influence of immigration to quantify the disease and economic burden of chronic HBV infection in Ontario from 2020 to 2050.

Impact of expanding hepatitis B treatment guidelines: A modelling and economic impact analysis.

Background: Antiviral treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) may decrease the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and death. However, only 2.2% of CHB patients receive antiviral treatment globally.

Progress towards achieving viral hepatitis B and C elimination in the Asia and Pacific region: Results from modelling and global reporting.

In 2016, Asia and Pacific countries endorsed action plans for reaching viral hepatitis elimination targets set in the Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) for Viral Hepatitis 2016-2021. We examine the region's progress by modelling disease burden and constructing the cascade of care. Between 2015 and 2020, chronic HBV prevalence declined from 4.

Hepatitis C elimination in Sweden: Progress, challenges and opportunities for growth in the time of COVID-19.

Background & Aims: In 2014, the burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Sweden was evaluated, to establish a baseline and inform public health interventions. Considering the changing landscape of HCV treatment, prevention, and care, and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this analysis seeks to evaluate Sweden's progress towards the World Health Organization (WHO) elimination targets and identify remaining barriers.

Methods: The data used for modelling HCV transmission and disease burden in Sweden were obtained through literature review, unpublished sources and expert input.

Estimating the health impact of vaccination against ten pathogens in 98 low-income and middle-income countries from 2000 to 2030: a modelling study.

Background: The past two decades have seen expansion of childhood vaccination programmes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We quantify the health impact of these programmes by estimating the deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) averted by vaccination against ten pathogens in 98 LMICs between 2000 and 2030.

Methods: 16 independent research groups provided model-based disease burden estimates under a range of vaccination coverage scenarios for ten pathogens: hepatitis B virus, Haemophilus influenzae type B, human papillomavirus, Japanese encephalitis, measles, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A, Streptococcus pneumoniae, rotavirus, rubella, and yellow fever.

Global prevalence of hepatitis C virus in women of childbearing age in 2019: a modelling study.

Background: Treatment for infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) during pregnancy has not yet been approved; however, interventions specifically targeting women, especially those of childbearing age (15-49 years), could prevent vertical transmission and community spread. To assess the impact of such interventions, improved prevalence estimates in this group are needed. We aimed to estimate the global prevalence of viraemic HCV in 2019 among women of childbearing age.

A tool to measure the economic impact of Hepatitis B elimination: A case study in Saudi Arabia.

Background: No virologic cure exists for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and existing therapies are designed to control viral replication. We aimed to estimate the national prevalence of HBsAg in 2017 and study the impact of an enhanced diagnosis rate and universal treatment administration on HBV-related outcomes in Saudi Arabia.

Materials And Methods: A dynamic transmission and disease burden model was developed to estimate the future economic burden of HBV infection.

Impact of COVID-19 on global HCV elimination efforts.

Background & Aims: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has placed a significant strain on national healthcare systems at a critical moment in the context of hepatitis elimination. Mathematical models can be used to evaluate the possible impact of programmatic delays on hepatitis disease burden. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the incremental change in HCV liver-related deaths and liver cancer, following a 3-month, 6-month, or 1-year hiatus in hepatitis elimination programs.

Modelling hepatitis B virus infection and impact of timely birth dose vaccine: A comparison of two simulation models.

Hepatitis B is a global epidemic that requires carefully orchestrated vaccination initiatives in geographical regions of medium to high endemicity to reach the World Health Organization's elimination targets by 2030. This study compares two widely-used deterministic hepatitis B models-the Imperial HBV model and the CDA Foundation's PRoGReSs-based on their predicted outcomes in four countries. The impact of scaling up of the timely birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine is also investigated.

Global prevalence of hepatitis C virus in children in 2018: a modelling study.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence estimates for adults and high-risk groups have been widely published, but the disease burden in children is poorly understood. Direct-acting antiviral drugs, which are considered to be highly effective curative therapies for HCV, are now approved for paediatric patients as young as 3 years. Reliable prevalence estimates for this population are needed to inform scale-up of treatment and national strategies.

Chronic hepatitis C in the Czech Republic: Forecasting the disease burden.

Objective: Chronic HCV infection is associated with cirrhosis of the liver, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and liver transplantation. HCV disease burden and the impact of new potent direct acting antivirals (DAAs) in the Czech Republic are unknown.

Methods: Using a modelling framework, HCV disease progression in the Czech Republic was predicted to 2030 under the current standard of care treatment structure.

Liver Disease Burden of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Iran and the Potential Impact of Various Treatment Strategies on the Disease Burden.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is emerging as the leading cause of viral hepatitis-related liver disease in Iran.

Objectives: This study estimated the current and future disease burden of HCV infection in Iran and assessed the impact of various strategies in access to HCV treatment on reducing the disease burden.

Materials And Methods: A modelling approach was used to estimate the size of HCV infected population, and disease progression from 2014 to 2030.