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Review
. 2022 Jan 7;28(1):76-95.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i1.76.

Viral hepatitis in 2021: The challenges remaining and how we should tackle them

Rebecca Dunn  1 , Aaron Wetten  2 , Stuart McPherson  2 , Mhairi C Donnelly  3
Affiliations
Review

Viral hepatitis in 2021: The challenges remaining and how we should tackle them

Rebecca Dunn et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Viral hepatitis results in 1.4 million deaths annually. The World Health Organization (WHO) set an ambitious target to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030, but significant challenges remain. These include inequalities in access to healthcare, reaching at risk populations and providing access to screening and effective treatment. Stigma around viral hepatitis persists and must be addressed. The WHO goal of global elimination by 2030 is a worthy aim, but remains ambitious and the coronavirus 2019 pandemic undoubtedly has set back progress. This review article will focus on hepatitis A to E, highlighting problems that have been resolved in the field over the past decade, those that remain to be resolved and suggest directions for future problem solving and research.

Keywords: COVID-19; Hepatitis A; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis D; Hepatitis E.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Remaining challenges in hepatitis B virus infection. HBV: Hepatitis B virus; cccDNA: Closed circular DNA; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; pgRNA: Pregenomic RNA.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proposed simplified pathway for hepatitis C virus diagnosis, staging and treatment. HCV: Hepatitis C virus; FIB-4: Fibrosis-4; APRI: Aminotransferase-platelet ratio index; SVR: Sustained virologic response.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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