Abstract The National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP) in India provides free diagnostic and therapeutic services. Analysis of secondary data under the program helps to understand about hepatitis and its associated risk factors. The present study was undertaken to analyze the secondary data (April 2023–December 2024) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and associated factors at a secondary hospital in Himachal Pradesh, India. A total of 283 records were evaluated, where majority of the patients (69.6%) belonged to rural area. About half (52.0%) HCV-positive patients with mean hepatitis C viral load of 0.95 × 105 IU/mL were people who inject drugs (PWIDs). Additionally, PWIDs showed a high HCV positivity rate (63.1%). Odds of HCV infection was found to be significantly higher in males (odds ratio OR; 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2–4.7) and PWIDs (1.8; 95% CI: 1.1–3.0). Hepatitis C viral load among HCV-positive patients was not associated with gender, area (rural/urban), and PWID status. Occurrence of co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in HCV-positive PWIDs is also observed. Hence, there is a need to share information between NVHCP and National HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome Control Program for surveillance and formulation of public health interventions toward achieving elimination targets set by World Health Organization for 2030.
Sharma et al. (2025) studied this question.
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