Projects such as the Mobile Infectious Disease Screening Unit are bringing the elimination of hepatitis C closer.

Many of us have worked hard throughout our professional careers to eliminate hepatitis C. feat to achieve an unprecedented milestone in the history of medicineSince the advent of direct-acting antivirals, we have implemented many measures to diagnose and treat all people with hepatitis C in Spain, thus putting an end to a disease that was a heavy burden on patients and the health system.

Over the years, through the implementation of the Hepatitis C Strategic Plan, We have managed to cure more than 160,000 patientsHowever, there are still an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people with the disease in Spain, mostly from vulnerable groups or people with poor access to the healthcare system.

With the advent of direct-acting antiviral drugs, we treated those who were waiting for treatment, but the profile of people with hepatitis C has changed in recent years. Now we must focus on those who are unaware that they have an active infection.and those who have ever been tested but never received treatment.

For this reason, the different organizations involved in the fight against this pathology are taking different actions to achieve this common goal. For example, for several months now, the Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver (AEEH) has been issuing Certificates of Quality in the implementation of the Decalogue for the Elimination of Hepatitis C, which recognize the work of health centers that meet the necessary requirements for the elimination of the disease. In this sense, a project I am particularly proud of because of the impact it has The Mobile Infectious Disease Screening Unit is designed to diagnose and treat these vulnerable groups. This mobile unit travels to different cities in Spain to test people from vulnerable groups for hepatitis C and other infectious diseases.

During the operation of the facility, 6,700 tests were conducted. Of these, 358 positive rapid tests for HIV and 1,128 reactive rapid tests for hepatitis C were detected. Of the latter, in 358 cases, active infection was confirmed using PCR tests. In addition, 1,600 tests for hepatitis B were conducted, as a result of which 29 positive cases were detected.

There are still 30,000 people suffering from the disease in Spain.

The mobile inspection team allowed us bring the diagnosis of this disease closer to people belonging to vulnerable groups, such as drug users, homeless people and migrants from countries with a high prevalence of hepatitis C. With its help, we can actively search for them and conduct rapid testing and, in case of a positive result, accompany them throughout the entire process of referral to the hospital and until the end of treatment.

This project had and still has great success today.: We were able to reach people who we would not otherwise have been able to screen and treat. We also worked in a coordinated manner with doctors, hospital pharmacy services, nurses, social workers and non-governmental organizations so that we could find and follow patients through the entire process until the disease was cured.

For all this, The mobile screening team is a role model and we must work to ensure that he can continue to travel throughout Spain, because as long as there are patients with hepatitis C, we cannot afford to let our guard down. We have worked tirelessly to become one of the first countries to eliminate this disease, and it is time to make a final effort to achieve this goal.

Moreover, the ability to treat these people has major benefits for both patients and the health care system. We are already seeing a marked reduction in the need for liver transplants as a result of hepatitis C.However, ending the disease would also mean a reduction in cases that progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma, thereby reducing the economic impact that the disease has on the health care system.

We can do this because we have the tools to do it: we have rapid tests that make diagnosis easier and bring it closer to vulnerable people. In addition, We can cure patients in just 8 or 12 weekswhich facilitates the process from diagnosis to treatment.

I am convinced that by working together and using all the tools we have, We can guarantee that Spain will be one of the first countries to eliminate this disease..