Economic Analysis of National Program for Hepatitis C Elimination, Israel, 2023¹

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Health Economics

Background:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a global goal for hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination by 2030.
• Israel launched a national HCV elimination program in 2021, integrating multiple strategies to combat the virus.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Israel's national hepatitis C elimination program.
• To assess the program's reach in screening and treating the at-risk population.

Main Methods:

• The study involved targeted screening, simplified diagnostics, and a patient registry.
• Data on identified at-risk individuals, screening rates, HCV detection, viremia confirmation, treatment, and sustained virologic response were collected and analyzed.
• Program costs for testing and treatment were estimated.

Main Results:

• By May 2023, 865,382 at-risk individuals were identified, with 64.3% screened for HCV.
• HCV was detected in 4.4% of screened individuals, and 63.9% of those positive had detectable viremia.
• Treatment was administered to 80% of patients with viremia, achieving a 96.5% sustained virologic response rate.

Conclusions:

• The program successfully screened and treated a significant portion of the at-risk population, demonstrating progress towards HCV elimination.
• The estimated cost was approximately $3,606 USD per diagnosed and treated individual.
• While HCV is not yet eliminated, prevalence is expected to decrease substantially by the 2030 target.