[Financial burden of hepatitis C infection and its treatment].

The worldwide prevalence of hepatitis C infection is 2-3%. In addition to its individual consequences, it generates huge financial impact on national level. In particular, lack of recognition or late diagnosis of the disease is associated with high rate of liver cirrhosis related complications (hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, variceal bleeding, hepatocellular carcinoma) and/or demands liver transplantation. Loss of quality assisted life years and/or those spent in employment, reduced work productivity, as well as costs of antiviral therapy also contribute to the financial burden. The costs of new interferon-free therapies may exceed the prices of previous pegylated interferon based therapies with or without protease inhibitors; however, shorter treatment durations and extremely low rates of severe side-effects with much less related expenses can reduce total costs of these treatments. In addition to the moral obligations, published cost-effectiveness analyses conclude that early diagnosis and treatment of this primarily iatrogenic infection through organized screening programs and wide access to effective therapies may lead to long term financial benefit.