Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30563994›Full record

ArticleJournal of clinical and experimental hepatology2018

Hepatitis C Continuum of Care in a Treatment Center in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Henry N Luma, Servais A F B Eloumou, Dominique N Noah, B Aude Eyenga, Georges Nko'Ayissi, T Sylvie Taku, Agnes Malongue, Olivier Donfack-Sontsa, Ivo C Ditah

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Article in Journal of clinical and experimental hepatology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Observational
  3. Article
  4. Malignancy and viral infections in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review.Frontiers in virology (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2023
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Henry N LumaDouala General Hospital, Douala, Cameroon.
Servais A F B EloumouDouala General Hospital, Douala, Cameroon.
Dominique N NoahFaculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon.
B Aude EyengaFaculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon.
Georges Nko'AyissiMinistry of Public Health, Yaounde, Cameroon.
T Sylvie TakuDaniel Muna Foundation, Bonanjo, Douala, Cameroon.
Agnes MalongueDouala General Hospital, Douala, Cameroon.
Olivier Donfack-SontsaDouala General Hospital, Douala, Cameroon.
Ivo C DitahMedical College of Wisconsin, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health challenge in Cameroon with over three million people infected. Government efforts to improve care and treatment are unsatisfactory and need to be assessed. We aimed at studying the several steps along the HCV continuum of care in one of two hepatitis treatment centers in Cameroon.

methodsWe undertook a retrospective chart review of anti-HCV positive individuals, who attended the Douala general hospital between 2008 and 2015. We defined the HCV treatment cascade as follows: step 1-HCV RNA testing, step 2-complete pre-therapeutic evaluation (genotyping and liver fibrosis markers), step 3-initiation of treatment, step 4-treatment completion, and step 5-sustained virological response (SRV). Each successive step in the HCV care continuum was dependent on passing through the previous step.

resultsThe mean age of the 669 anti-HCV antibody positive individuals was 57 (sd: ±13) years. Females were 52.8% of the study population. 410 (61.3%) were tested for HCV RNA. Three hundred and sixty-six (54.7%) were confirmed to have viral replication (HCV RNA positive). One hundred and eighty (26.9%) did a complete pre-therapeutic evaluation (both HCV genotyping and liver fibrosis assessment included). Eighty-one (12.1%) initiated treatment with pegylated interferon/ribavirin. Seventy-two (10.8%) completed treatment and 44 (6.6%) had SVR. Sociodemographic characteristics including age, gender, marital status, having medical insurance, and profession were associated with attaining later steps in the care cascade.

conclusionThis study shows that HCV continuum of care and treatment is less optimal at the Douala general hospital and is highly impacted by socio-economic factors. Continued efforts are needed to improve HCV care.

Indexed as

ALT, alanine aminotransferaseAST, aspartate aminotransferaseCamerooncontinuum of careDAA, direct acting antiviral therapyDGH, Douala General HospitalELISA, enzyme linked immunosorbent assayHCVHCV, hepatitis C virusHIV, human immunodeficiency virusRNA, ribonucleic acidsociodemographicSVR, sustained virological response

Identifiers

PMID30563994
PMCPMC6286429

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.