Table 1.

Nonintegrated screening programs in intermediate to high HCV-prevalence countries (>2%)

Program characteristics									Program outcomes
First author, year of publication	Calendar year of data collection	Population	Country and HCV prevalence according to CDC[23]	Setting of screening	Duration of screening program	Other tests	Pre-screening selection	Media activities	Screening uptake and anti-HCV prevalence (95% CI)	Risk profile of identified HCV cases/Risk factors associated with HCV	Follow-up of HCV-infected individuals
Meky et al. 2006 [55]	2002-2005	General population	Egypt (6.6%): Two rural villages in the Nile Delta	Community health clinic and private clinics for acute cases	29 months	HAV, HBV, HEV, CMV, Epstein-Barr	Only those with symptoms and ALT levels = > 2 times the upper limit of normal were tested	Yes	Scr. uptake: NR Prevalence: 78.7% (37/47; 95% CI:65.1-88.0*	NR	At 2 and 6 months following initial examination, follow-up testing was done to confirm or reclassify the diagnosis (i.e., viral clearance or persistent infection). No data was reported about medical follow-up of chronically infected patients.
											Outcomes: RNA rate: 70.2% (33/37) Start treatment: NR SVR: NR
Chen et al. 2007 [58]	1996-2005	General population aged ≥18 yrs	Taiwan (2.1% a): throughout the country	Outreach community based screening	10 years	HBV, ALT, AST	No	Yes	Scr. uptake: NR Prevalence: 4.4% (6904/157720; 95% CI: 4.3-4.5)**	NR	Patients were requested to return to the collaborating hospitals for subsequent management (results were not reported).
											Outcomes: RNA rate: NR Start treatment: NR SVR: NR
Aslam & Aslam 2001 [57]	2000	General population	Pakistan (6.6%): Lahore and Gujranwala	City screening program	NR	None	No	Yes	Scr. uptake: Lahore: 0.01% 488/5063500 Gujranwala: 0.2% (1922/1124800) Prevalence: Lahore: 16% (78/488; 95% CI:13.0-19.5) Gujranwala: 23.8% (458/1922; 95% CI: 22.0-25.8)*	Listed risk factors: - Blood transfusion - Surgery/dental work - Multiple factors - Mostly other, non-specified risk factors	Patients were informed about the possibility of eradication of the virus, and treatment in its early stages (further data not provided) Outcomes: RNA rate: NR Start treatment: NR SVR: NR
Lu et al. 1998 [56]	1994	General population <16 yrs	Taiwan (2.1% a): Paisha Township, Penghu Islets	Kindergartens and schools	1 month	HBV	No	NR	Scr. uptake: 93.6% (1164/1243) Prevalence: 0.9% (11/1164; 95% CI: 0.5-1.7) overall* 3–6 yrs: 0% 7–12 yrs: 0.8% 13–15 yrs: 1.9%	Listed risk factors: - Surgery - Intramuscular injection - Intravascul ar injection, - Intravascular infusion	All anti-HCV positive children were followed annually for 2 years with upper abdominal sonography, AST, ALT, anti-HCV and HCV RNA. No data was reported about medical follow-up of chronically infected children.
											Outcomes: RNA rate: 27.3% (3/11) Start treatment: NR SVR: NR

Note: CI = confidence interval; NR = not reported; IDU = injecting drug use; HCV = hepatitis C virus; HBV = hepatitis B virus; HAV = hepatitis A virus; HEV = hepatitis E virus; CMV = cytomegalovirus; ALT = alanine aminotransferase; AST = aspartate aminotransferase; SVR = sustained virological response.

*HCV-antibody prevalence is considered suboptimal (data were collected before 1994 when sensitivity/specificity of tests was not optimal, or reactive HCV-antibody test results were not confirmed by immunoblot).

**The reliability of the reported HCV-antibody prevalence is undecided (data were collected after 1993, but the diagnostic tests are unspecified, or other than described below (see ***), or dried blood spots or oral fluid samples were used).

***HCV-antibody prevalence is considered valid; data were collected after 1993, and reactive HCV-antibody test results were confirmed by second or higher generation immunoblot assays from Ortho, Chiron, Novartis (RIBA), Innogenetics (LiaTek), Pasteur (DECISCAN HCV), Genelabs Diagnostics (HCV BLOT), or Mikrogen (recomBlot HCV IgG 2.0).

^aHCV prevalence based on prevalence of country neighbours.