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Journal Article
|Research

From Risk to Care: The Hepatitis C Screening and Diagnostic Cascade in a Primary Health Care Clinic in Karachi, Pakistan—a Cohort Study

Khalid GG, Kyaw KWY, Bousquet C, Auat R, Dmytro Donchuk, Trickey A, Hamid SS, Qureshi H, Mazzeo V, Aslam K, Khowaja S, Van der Bergh R
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Abstract
Background In the high-prevalence setting of Pakistan, screening, diagnosis and treatment services for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients are commonly offered in specialized facilities. We aimed to describe the cascade of care in a Médecins Sans Frontières primary health care clinic offering CHC care in an informal settlement in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods This was a retrospective cohort analysis using routinely collected data. Three different screening algorithms were assessed among patients with one or more CHC risk factors. Results Among the 87 348 patients attending the outpatient clinic, 5003 (6%) presented with one or more risk factors. Rapid diagnostic test (RDT) positivity was 38% overall. Approximately 60% of the CHC patients across all risk categories were in the early stage of the disease, with an aspartate aminotransferase:platelet ratio index score <1. The sequential delays in the cascade differed between the three groups, with the interval between screening and treatment initiation being the shortest in the cohort tested with GeneXpert onsite. Conclusions Delays between screening and treatment can be reduced by putting in place more patient-centric testing algorithms. New strategies, to better identify and treat the hidden at-risk populations, should be developed and implemented.

Countries

Pakistan

Subject Area

diagnosticsinfections, viral

Languages

English
Published Date
28 Dec 2018
Journal
International Health
Volume | Issue | Pages
Volume null Issue 1
Issue Date
2018-12-28
From Risk to Care: The Hepatitis C Screening and Diagnostic Cascade in a Primary Health Care Clinic in Karachi, Pakistan—a Cohort Study | Journal Article / Research | MSF Science Portal