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People who inject drugs are more at risk of being infected with HCV ©Shutterstock
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) co-infection refers to the condition where a person is infected with both viruses at the same time. Both HIV and HCV are blood-borne pathogens and have common routes of transmission through blood and blood products. Hepatitis C is a disease of the liver caused by HCV that can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis C, ranging in severity from a mild illness, lasting a few weeks to a serious life-threatening illness, such as liver cancer, if not treated.
In India, the population prevalence of hepatitis C is around 1%, which amounts to an estimated 12 million people in India who are likely to be infected with HCV.
Some facts by Dr Sanjay Sarin, Country Head, FIND India you must know about HIV and HCV Co-infection:
Globally, 71 million people are estimated to be chronic carriers of hepatitis C, but 4 out of 5 people (80%) do not know their status and only 7% are receiving treatment.
All vulnerable populations (such as people who inject drugs, patients on haemodialysis, geriatric patients, healthcare workers, people engaging with multiple sexual partners, those in close contact with an HCV-infected patient, have body piercing and tattoos etc.) are more at risk of being infected with HCV.
Despite various safety measures, the blood received from donors, still in window period, is a matter of concern, as it is difficult to detect the infection at the blood banks.
Both HIV and HCV can be transmitted through the blood and by sharing needles, blades or any instrument coming in direct contact with an infected person's blood.
Progression of HCV infection speeds up in the presence of HIV infection, although it can remain asymptomatic for a long time. HCV infection remains asymptomatic for a long time, which makes early diagnosis challenging because, during the gestation period, the disease does not manifest itself through any specific symptoms.
All diagnosis tests are free of cost under National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP) at designated hospitals and ART/testing centres.
The Government of India launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP) on 28 July 2018, under the National Health Mission to control viral hepatitis, to provide free-of-charge screening, diagnosis, treatment and counselling services to all, and especially to people belonging to high-risk groups
"It is critical for people living with HIV to know if they are coinfected with HCV to allow early initiation of treatment that can minimize hepatitis-related liver disease, and the long-term negative impact on HIV outcomes," Dr Sanjay says.
Recent advances in diagnostics have now made it possible to diagnose people carrying viral hepatitis infections through point-of-care rapid diagnostic tests. Several new technologies and platforms are also now available for conducting screening and confirmatory tests.