Methods and indicators to validate country reductions in incidence of hepatitis C virus infection to elimination levels set by the World Health Organization

. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Nov 14.

Published in final edited form as: Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 Feb 3;7(4):353–366. doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(21)00311-3

Advantages	Disadvantages
• Obviates the need to collect HCV incidence data at baseline • Benefits countries which already have low baseline HCV incidence, as it prevents need for further reduction • Directs global efforts towards countries with high baseline HCV incidence, and thus, higher need for intervention • Sets a universal threshold below which the rate of HCV transmission can be considered negligible, independent of setting	• Penalises countries with high baseline HCV incidence, as these would need to achieve greater reductions than if a relative target was used • Does not provide information on the past trajectory of HCV incidence

Advantages

Disadvantages

• Obviates the need to collect HCV incidence data at baseline
• Benefits countries which already have low baseline HCV incidence, as it prevents need for further reduction
• Directs global efforts towards countries with high baseline HCV incidence, and thus, higher need for intervention
• Sets a universal threshold below which the rate of HCV transmission can be considered negligible, independent of setting

• Penalises countries with high baseline HCV incidence, as these would need to achieve greater reductions than if a relative target was used
• Does not provide information on the past trajectory of HCV incidence