Between 2017 and 2024, the prevalence of active hepatitis C virus infection among drug users has dropped by 70%.
This is the most vulnerable group and one of the strategic lines for virus elimination.
To achieve this:
- A specific protocol was deployed at the Centers for Attention and Monitoring of drug dependencies to facilitate access to diagnosis and treatment.
- There is also a Mobile Screening Unit to reach people outside the healthcare system. Between 2021 and 2024, 1,410 drug users were analyzed, of which 8% had active infection.
Elimination in Catalan penitentiary centers
The Primary Penitentiary Care Teams are responsible for diagnosing and treating infected patients in the same penitentiary center with the advice and supervision of hospital specialists.
This strategy has been successful, as it has allowed for the identification and treatment of almost all patients, resulting in the current infection prevalence of 0.4% (compared to 10.1% in 2016).
Search for cases in the general population
As part of a pilot project initiated in 2022, a strategy of active search for hidden cases of HCV infection has been deployed in all of Barcelona city’s 52 primary care teams.
By December 2024, 85% of the 5,948 people identified with a hepatitis C diagnosis have been reviewed. Since the start of this pilot, 597 people have been treated, with 25% initiating treatment due to this intervention.
Following the positive results, the project will be extended to the rest of the territory with the aim of advancing towards the elimination of hepatitis C as a public health problem before 2030.