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Geatitis C poses a global threat to women of reproductive age
Last reviewed: 14.06.2024
Both acute hepatitis C (AHC) and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cases of cirrhosis increased significantly globally from 1990 to 2019 among women of reproductive age, according to a study published in the Journal of Global Health.
Yangzheng Zou of the School of Public Health at Nanjing Medical University in China and colleagues used data from the Global Burden of Disease study to examine the global incidence and time trends (1990 to 2019) of AHS and cirrhosis liver disease associated with HCV among women of reproductive age (from 15 to 49 years).
The researchers found that during the study period, the global incidence of HCV and HCV-associated cirrhosis increased by 46.45% and 72.74%, respectively. In regions with a low sociodemographic index, age-standardized incidence rates of HCV were the highest, but showed a downward trend, while age-standardized incidence rates of HCV-associated cirrhosis showed unfavorable trends in regions with low, low-medium and high sociodemographic index.
High incidence rates or increasing trends in AHC and HCV-associated cirrhosis have been observed in sub-Saharan Africa, high-income North America, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
“Period effects suggest a resurgence of the risk of AHS and HCV-associated cirrhosis in recent years, posing additional challenges to HCV elimination,” the authors write.