Seminars in liver disease
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Seminars in liver disease · May 2012
ReviewChallenges and priorities in the management of HIV/HBV and HIV/HCV coinfection in resource-limited settings.
Liver disease due to chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is now emerging as an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality in human immunodeficiency virus- (HIV-) infected persons in resource-limited settings (RLS). Existing management guidelines have generally focused on care in tertiary level facilities in developed countries. Less than half of low-income countries have guidance, and in those that do, there are important omissions or disparities in recommendations. ⋯ In 2010, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a comprehensive approach for the prevention, control, and management of viral hepatitis. We describe activities at the World Health Organization (WHO) in three key areas: the establishment of a global hepatitis Program and interim strategy; steps toward the development of global guidance on management of coinfection for RLS; and the WHO prequalification program of HBV and HCV diagnostic assays. We highlight key research gaps and the importance of applying the lessons learned from the public health scale-up of ART to hepatitis care.