Accessing healthcare is often hindered by expensive and multi-visit treatments. The investigation was focused on the factors influencing healthcare-seeking behaviour for asymptomatic, chronic Hepatitis C (HCV) virus infection, necessitating costly treatment at an urban tertiary care referral hospital in Vietnam.
A secondary analysis of hospital data for patients attending the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam between 2017 and 2020 specifically for HCV infection treatment was conducted. This study published in the BMC Infectious Diseases shows that both structural and individual factors influence the number of visits for HCV treatment. To achieve the global strategy of eliminating HCV, the Vietnamese government is required to address both systemic and personal barriers to healthcare, especially for women.
Read the full story on the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health website.