Increasing awareness of the direct-acting antivirals that can cure hepatitis C

Challenges

An estimated 2.9 million people are co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) virus.
A lack of awareness about hepatitis C has led to low demand for diagnosis and treatment, despite the availability of revolutionary treatments that can cure most cases of HCV in 12 weeks.

Solutions

The grant is attempting to stimulate demand for HCV care in selected countries by raising awareness among civil society organizations and national decision makers.

“Unitaid is a pioneer in tackling market bottlenecks for new and efficient hepatitis C treatments. Stimulating demand is key to shaping a healthy market.”

Kate Hencher, programme manager, Unitaid

Impact achieved

The grant advocated at the government level to encourage countries to make new drugs and tools available and implement new policies that addressed the needs of communities. Coalition PLUS also raised awareness of HCV testing and treatment with a focus on approaches that include marginalized populations such as people who inject drugs (PWIDs) and prisoners to increase diagnosis, combat stigma and generate demand for treatment.