| Abstract [eng] |
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important public health problem, as this disease affects not only the health and quality of life of the infected person, but also the social and economic well-being of countries globally. Viral hepatitis is the seventh leading cause of mortality worldwide and is the only communicable disease where mortality is still increasing. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that the number of deaths caused by complications from chronic hepatitis C will increase over the next ten years if effective preventive measures are not taken to protect the groups most at risk. Preventing the spread of HCV requires an understanding of the main routes of transmission, identification of key risk factors and groups, and an assessment of the range of HCV infection prevention services available in the country. Surveillance and prevention of HCV infection should be closely associated with the assessment of patients', suffering from chronic hepatitis C, knowledge about infection, their attitudes toward it and quality of life. The WHO has set a target of eradicating HCV infection by 2030. Results of this study can contribute to important, evidence-based medical and public health decisions, as they cover multi-year analysis of HCV infection epidemiological patterns. To better translate our findings into practice, we also implemented a separate case-control study to assess the main risk factors of chronic hepatitis C, together with motivation and barriers to treatment for this infection. |
