Ethical Considerations of Treating Patients Infected with Hepatitis C Virus

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic hepatitis, which carries high mortality and morbidity (1). It’s several decades that interferon-based regimens and direct-acting antiviral (DAAs) have improved the treatment of HCV (2). Although the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed a framework for eliminating HCV, several multiple-layered barriers may delay this goal (3). The barriers may be related to the patients (e.g. poor knowledge and asymptomatic infection), providers (e.g. treatment misconception), and health-care systems (e.g. high price and lack of strategies) (3).