Evaluation of viral hepatitis C screening at Institut Pasteur of Cte dIvoire from 2012 to 2022

Abstract

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) accounts for 48% of the 1.4 million deaths from viral hepatitis worldwide. The prevalence of HCV was estimated at 5% in Côte d'Ivoire in 2015. The aim is to evaluate screening for the HCV at the Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire (IPCI) from 2012 to 2022. A retrospective study was carried out to monitor changes in screening for the anti-HCV Ac at the IPCI. The parameters of interest were age, sex and anti-HCV antibody results during the study period. The data collected were recorded in an Excel file and analysed using Rstudio software. According to the results obtained, the positivity rate for males was 5.26% compared with 3.81% for females, and the financial support provided by ROCHE stimulated the screening of a large number of people. The positive rate for viral hepatitis C (4.6%) virtually mirrored the rate of 4.4% obtained in a study of blood donors in Côte d'Ivoire. Finally, this study demonstrated the endemic nature of the HCV in Côte d'Ivoire. Despite financial support to facilitate screening, the seroconversion rate among the population has not shown any increase in the number of people contracting the HCV.