[Analysis of the results of the Fuxing Program Action for micro-elimination of hepatitis C in Zhuhai].

Objective

The Fuxing Program was established in Zhuhai as an action plan to micro-eliminate hepatitis C in response to the World Health Organization's goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030. Therefore, the effectiveness of this program in terms of hepatitis C screening, treatment, follow-up, and other aspects is evaluated here.

Methods

The "Fuxing Project" was established in May 2021 under the supervision of the Zhuhai Medical Quality Control Center for Infectious Diseases. A bridge was formed among the governmental entities, hospitals at all levels, and the community to train hepatitis C prevention and control strategies. Hepatitis C screening, publicity, and educational awareness were conducted in-and out-of-hospital. The responsibility for the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of a patient with hepatitis C was assigned to the staff. The screening and treatment rates of hepatitis C in hospitals before and after the initiation of the project were compared and analyzed using the χ2 test or Fisher's exact test. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and treatment status were investigated and analyzed among the general population, high-risk populations such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, drug addicts, and the population residing in supervised sites within Zhuhai communities, rural areas, schools, or factories.

Results

Anti-HCV positivity rate (0.82% vs. 0.43%, P<0.001), HCV RNA detection rate (98.1% vs. 59.5%, P<0.001), HCV RNA detection positivity rate (52.56% vs. 29.76%, P<0.001), HCV RNA positivity rate (0.4% vs. 0.13%, P<0.001), and hepatitis C treatment rate (76.76% vs. 31.97%, P<0.001) were significantly higher among the inpatient population after the Fuxing Program initiation than before. The HCV RNA detection rate (58.52% vs. 6.93%, P<0.001) and HCV RNA detection positivity rate (77.72% vs. 29.41%, P<0.001) in Zhuhai were significantly higher after the Fuxing Program initiation than before. Anti-HCV positivity rate (0.46% vs. 1.28%, P=0.009) and HCV RNA (0.32% vs. 0.99%, P=0.03) were significantly lower in the Zhuhai general population of urban communities than those of the general population in rural areas. The HCV infection rate was more than three times higher in rural populations than in urban populations. Anti-HCV positivity rate, HCV RNA positivity rate, HCV RNA detection positivity rate, and hepatitis C treatment rates were 2.64% (31/1 175), 3.40% (69/2 022) and 94.4% (34/36), 2.64% (31/1 175), 2.72% (55/2 022), 50.00% (18/36), and 100% (31/31), 79.71% (55/69) and 52.94% (18/34), and 100% (31/31), 0 (0/55) and 55.55% (10/18) among the HIV infection, supervised population under supervised sites, and methadone maintenance treatment clinic population, respectively. Anti-HCV positivity rate (4.15% vs. 0.72%, P<0.001) and HCV RNA (3.22% vs. 0.53%, P<0.001) were significantly higher in the high-risk group than those in the general population, while the treatment rate of hepatitis C in the high-risk group (39.42% vs. 82.35%, P<0.01) was significantly lower than that of the general population.

Conclusion

The establishment of the hospital grid linkage mechanism and the management model of hepatitis C follow-up by specialists, with the infectious diseases medical quality control center as the supervisory body, have improved the screening rate, the HCV RNA detection rate, and the treatment rate in the hospital, thereby providing a reference for exploring a management model to eliminate the nationwide threat of hepatitis C.