Hepatitis C Among First Nations Australians: A Rethink Is Required to Meet the 2030 Elimination Target

Australia aims to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030 among all populations. It is timely to review national elimination efforts for First Nations Australians and discuss what is required to reach elimination targets. In 2020, First Nations Australians accounted for 18% of people living with chronic hepatitis C, despite representing 4% of the population. Over the past 5 years, about 15% of hepatitis C cases notified nationally occurred among First Nations peoples, with slower uptake of curative direct-acting antiviral treatment than non-Indigenous people. Achieving elimination will require implementation of strategies with an equity framework applied to address gaps in data and care cascades for hepatitis C.