Female Sex Workers and Hepatitis C: Community-led Campaigns in Cape Town, South Africa

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) disproportionately affects female sex workers in Cape Town, South Africa, necessitating targeted interventions to reduce its prevalence. A mixed-methods approach involving surveys, qualitative interviews, and biological testing was employed. Data were collected from 120 participants at baseline and follow-up assessments, with statistical analysis using logistic regression models. Among the 120 female sex workers surveyed, there was a significant reduction in HCV prevalence from 45% to 30% after two years of intervention (p < 0.05). Adherence rates were found to be 78%, with no statistically significant differences across different socio-demographic groups. Community-led health campaigns effectively reduced HCV prevalence among female sex workers in Cape Town, and high adherence levels suggest successful implementation. Further research should focus on replicating this model in other urban settings and explore long-term sustainability of the intervention strategies. Treatment effect was estimated with logit(pᵢ)=β₀+β^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.