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Disparities Identified in Linkage to Care for Children With Hepatitis C

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 28, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 28, 2025 -- Primary hepatitis C virus (HCV) care cascade outcomes are low among children with HCV, with racial and ethnic disparities identified in care access, according to a study published online April 18 in Pediatrics.

Megan Rose Curtis, M.D., from Washington University in St. Louis, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of children born between 2000 and 2018 who were diagnosed with HCV between ages 0 and 18 years to characterize the HCV care cascade. The number of children diagnosed with HCV infection, linked to care, and prescribed direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) were included as primary HCV care cascade outcomes.

The researchers found that 32.0 and 12.0 percent of the 928 children with HCV were linked to HCV care and prescribed a DAA, respectively. Compared with Black children, Hispanic/Latinx and White children had double and triple the odds of linkage, respectively, after adjustment for sex, birth cohort, and region.

"This study adds to a growing body of literature highlighting gaps in the HCV care cascade for marginalized populations," the authors write. "Strengthening programs to link children to HCV care could be informed by interventions that have been successful in adults, such as implementing patient navigation programs, training primary care providers to treat HCV in adolescents, and treating HCV at the point of HCV diagnosis in nonclinical settings."

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted April 2025

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