Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus commonly transmitted through unsafe injection practices such as sharing of needles among intravenous drug users, inadequate sterilisation of healthcare equipment and use of unscreened blood products.
It can cause acute and chronic hepatitis infection leading to liver disease and liver cancer. Up to 500,000 people die from hepatitis C-related liver disease each year worldwide (World Health Organization, 2017). There is currently no vaccine, but antiviral treatment is successful in 50-90% of those treated (World Health Organization, 2018).
New anti-viral medications are better tolerated and treatment is shorter when compared to historical use of interferon.