More than 300,000 health professionals trained to treat hepatitis C –

Over the past two years, more than 2 million tests for hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been conducted in Mexico, and more than 300,000 professionals have been trained. Likewise, more than 30,000 treatments are available for the disease, which can be cured within two months, Alethse de la Torre Rosas, director of the National Center for HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control (Censida), informed. De la Torre Rosas announced on the sidelines of the first International Summit of Interagency Commands of the Health Sector (COISS) that he will start implementing the National Hepatitis C Elimination Plan in 2020. There are 700,000 people in Mexico.

plan progress

The plan was developed with the participation of the health sector, community leaders, clinicians and academics, among others. In addition, Mexico is expected to report to the World Health Organization (WHO) for the first time this year on its progress in eliminating viral hepatitis, de la Torre Rosas reported. The program puts people at the center and is the result of historic changes in the country. The foregoing is because it changes the vision of the treatment option, as it is no longer offered only to certain people, but to those who are diagnosed positive for the hepatitis C virus. Thus, direct acting antiviral drugs are provided. Within the framework of World Sexual Health Day, the plan’s strategy is based on testing, treatment and medical care by first-level professionals, the official added. To facilitate access and action for high-risk populations, such as those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. “We cannot talk about eliminating public health problems without discussing policies for people deprived of their liberty,” he stressed.

They advocate free treatment

The official also stressed the need to raise awareness about the infection and asked health professionals to know about viral hepatitis elimination programs and universal and free treatment. Diagnosis is simple, he said: A patient arrives at a primary care unit or health center, is tested and the results are available within minutes. If positive, provide diagnostic confirmation and provide treatment. “Caring for a person with hepatitis C is easier than caring for someone with diabetes and high blood pressure,” and both conditions require specialized care, he said. The plan establishes care based on the Health Facility Guidelines on Viral Hepatitis, which contains guidelines for counseling, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and medical follow-up. He called on those with risk factors to request hepatitis C testing.