Advances in treatment affordability and public health policies aim to improve outcomes. OUCRU's research explores cultural and psychological factors impacting diagnosis and care, supporting WHO's goal to eliminate hepatitis by 2030.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the number of deaths caused by viral hepatitis is increasing with a projected 3,500 daily deaths. According to a report presented at the World Hepatitis Summit in April 2024, viral hepatitis is the second biggest infectious killer disease after tuberculosis with 1.3 million deaths each year.
These figures become even more threatening in the context of current medical advancement in treating hepatitis and public health management: more affordable cost of treatment, better diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, and most countries including Vietnam included hepatitis treatment under public health insurance policies.
In order to identify the cultural, social, and psychological determinants affecting the diagnosis, access, and treatment compliance of Hepatitis C patients, OUCRU’s Social Science and Implementation Research group conducted a study among patients who were being examined and treated for Hepatitis C at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases.