[From treating in the dark towards eliminating hepatitis C]

Before the hepatitis C virus (HCV) was identified, patients with hepatitis C were treated with interferon. Alanine aminotranferase levels decreased in 25-50% of treated patients, but only 10-20% had been cured, i.e. became HCV-RNA-negative. Cure rates were improved to 40-60% by prolonging the duration of therapy and adding ribavirin, but it was not until the introduction of direct acting antivirals, that a cure for all patients was achieved. The time is now to eliminate hepatitis C, and in this review we argue, that it will require outreach and point-of-care testing and treating, but we expect Denmark to fulfil the WHO elimination goals before 2030.