The long-awaited direct-acting antivirals have had significant benefits, with those cured facing much better outcomes than people who have not been treated. However, a number of challenges threaten to undermine the individual and public health gains provided by DAAs:
- Overall mortality is higher for people who have been cured when compared to the general population.
- Stigma remains a barrier to healthcare and social inclusion, either because of misunderstandings about antibody positive status or because of the association of hepatitis C with injecting drug use.
- Maintaining cure is an ongoing challenge for people who live with the same risks that led to their initial infection.
The articles in this alert highlight the need for continued care after cure and include calls to expand the focus of elimination efforts to include the overall healthcare needs and human rights of people affected by hepatitis C.
Our findings bring into focus the importance of establishing robust care and harm reduction pathways after successful HCV treatment. As we move towards HCV elimination, treatment programmes must strike the right balance between treating HCV and treating the patient.*
Australia’s national hepatitis C strategy must address post-cure lives
Melbourne, Gender Law and Drugs (GLaD), 2022. 4p.
Identifies 3 important issues for the next strategy: stigma and discrimination including persistence after cure; more careful language, in acknowledgement of the challenges of post-cure life; and the approach to human rights.
Mortality rates among patients successfully treated for hepatitis C in the era of interferon-free antivirals: population based cohort study
London, BMJ Group, 2023. 13p.
Mortality rates among people treated are high compared with the general population. Highlights the need for continued support after treatment to maximise the impact of DAAs.
Liver cancer risk and changes in lifestyle habits after successful hepatitis C virus therapy post-DAA HCV therapy
London, Springer Nature, 2025. 10p.
The eradication of the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) reduces the risk of liver cancer (LC), but lifestyle changes after cure may counterbalance its benefit.
Life after hepatitis C treatment : health, wellbeing and the future
Melbourne, ARCSHS, 2022. 18p.
Lived experiences of treatment for hepatitis C in Australia.Concludes with recommendations to improve support and care following hepatitis C treatment and cure.
The time of cure: hepatitis C treatment and the matter of reinfection among people who inject drugs
London, Taylor and Francis Online, 2024.15p.
Hep C treatment and the complexities that endure for many post-cure: “We conclude that our understanding of reinfection needs to move beyond its current, narrow biomedical conception … and incorporate complexity in practice.”
Monitoring hepatitis C elimination among people who inject drugs: a broader approach is required
London, Elsevier, 2025.
Argues that the overall goal of hepatitis C elimination for PWID should be improved QOL and enhanced access to high-quality, non-judgmental healthcare and prevention services, resulting in reductions in morbidity and mortality.
For more information on life after hepatitis C cure visit our library – https://hepatitissa.asn.au/library/
Please contact us for more information or assistance in accessing resources.
Last updated 4 December 2025
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