• Henrique Lopes, Ricardo Baptista-Leite, Diogo Franco, Roxana Pirker, and Michael Gschwantler.
• Institute of Health Sciences, Public Health Unit, Catholic University of Portugal, Palma de Cima, 1649-023, Lisbon, Portugal. henrique.lopes@ucp.pt.
• Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. 2021 May 1; 133 (9-10): 461-469.

BackgroundEliminating hepatitis C requires addressing issues other than medicines or therapies. Public health policies focused on the hepatitis C virus (HCV) must be emphasized and worked to know the impacts on its epidemiologic dynamics. This research aims to provide a tool to evaluate and simulate alternatives by redefining policies meeting specific needs in each country towards the HCV elimination target by 2030.MethodsThe development of a gamified model with 24 public health policies focused on HCV was conducted to evaluate the impact of measures in the disease epidemiologic dynamics. The Let's End HepC (LEHC) project encompassed key populations (people who inject drugs [PWID], prisoners, blood products and remnant population) in Austria and other countries, presenting prospects for every year from 2019 to 2030. The LEHC epidemiological model comprised an integrated solution for HCV, with adaptive conjoint analysis (ACA) and Markov chains constituting its main processes.ResultsDespite Austria's efforts towards achieving the HCV elimination goal by 2030, the LEHC model forecast quantitative analysis predicts that it is still not enough to meet the target; however, prospects are very optimistic if public health policies are adapted to the country's needs, being possible to achieve the goal as early as 2026.ConclusionIn Austria, the LEHC tool allowed to forecast the HCV elimination year anticipation to 2026, instead of being achieved after 2030. This target will only be valid if adequate management of the 24 public health policies focused on this pathology is further implemented.

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