Abstract

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have concluded that eliminating the public health problem of chronic hepatitis B is feasible. We examined the economic and public health impact of reaching the World Health Organization targets of having 90percent of chronic hepatitis B cases diagnosed and 80percent being treated by 2030 in the United States with an annual incremental increase in screening and treatment rates. To reach the targets by 2030 would require screening approximately 14.5million adults in at-risk populations to diagnose an estimated 870,000 undiagnosed cases and would result in substantial health gains: an increase of 16.5million quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and reductions in liver-related deaths of 37percent and in cases of compensated cirrhosis of 24percent, decompensated liver cirrhosis of 51percent, and liver cancer of 35percent. Achieving the targets by 2030 would be highly cost-effective at $103 per QALY and would be cost-saving if the antiviral drug price were no more than $114 per month. Achieving them by 2025 would be cost-saving and would reduce liver-related deaths by 47percent.

View details for PubMedID 29985701