The World Health Organisation (WHO) has prequalified the first-ever Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) self-testing kit which is aimed at expanding access to testing and diagnosis.
The product, OraQuick HCV self-test, is designed for lay users, providing a single kit containing all the necessary components to perform the self-test.
Dr. Meg Doherty, WHO Director for the Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis, and STI Programmes, stated that the self-test kit will ensure more people receive the diagnosis and treatment they need, contributing to the global goal of HCV elimination.
Doherty highlighted that of the 50 million people living with Hepatitis C globally, only 36 per cent had been diagnosed and 20 percent had received curative treatment by the end of 2022.
WHO further noted that the self-test will help low- and middle-income countries access safe and affordable self-testing options for their populations.
In Malawi, the Ministry of Health reports a prevalence of HCV at 3.9 percent in the general population and 12 percent among the HIV-positive population.
By Alufisha Fischer
