Impact of COVID-19 on the Strategy for the Prevention and Elimination of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C
The COVID-19 pandemic, since SARS-CoV2 was discovered in December 2019, has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. Since then, several countries have witnessed the collapse of the health care system due to the great need to treat patients with COVID-19. At the global level, drastic measures have been taken to combat the spread of the virus. However, these measures have led to disruptions in other aspects of health care, diagnosis and treatment of other diseases and conditions. There is also a stalemate in achieving the ambitious goal set by the World Health Organization to eliminate viral hepatitis as a threat to public health by 2030. Hepatitis B and C are chronic conditions with a significant global burden, and COVID-19 has slowed or stopped many hepatitis elimination programs.