The role of early screening
Since hepatitis B and C is asymptomatic, it is often undiagnosed until decades later when the liver is severely damaged. In fact, 1 in 4 patients with chronic hepatitis B and C will develop complications such as cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer, leading to the majority of liver transplant cases.
Early screening helps to identify patients and serves to:
- Assess the degree of liver damage
- Determine viral genotype to guide treatment
- Increase treatment success rate
- Reduce complications and transmission