Global, regional, and National burden of hepatitis C from 1990 to 2021 and projections until 2030

Burden related to hepatitis C (HCV) has imposed severely globally. The World Health Organization has proposed a resolution to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030. By utilizing data from the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) 2021, the study aims to explore the burden and prediction of diseases related to HCV globally. The GBD 2021 was used to assess the burden related to HCV. We obtained the estimated dataset on total burden related to HCV and three subcategories including acute hepatitis C, chronic hepatitis C including cirrhosis, liver cancer due to HCV from GBD 2021. Age-standardized rate (ASR) and number of incidence, prevalence, deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were employed to describe the total burden of HCV and classification. Joinpoint regression was used to analysis diseases trends and Bayesian age cohort analysis was used to predict future burden. The estimated age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of total burden related to HCV decreased from 173.93 per 100,000 in 1990 to 153.82 per 100,000 in 2021, but the incidence shows a significant increase from 9.41 million in 1990 to 11.64 million in 2021 globally. In 2021, ASR of DALYs, mortality and prevalence were 177.24 per 100,000, 6.10 per 100,000 and 1313.83 per 100,000, respectively; all showed downward trends compared rate in 1990. From 1990 to 2021, three types of HCV-related diseases burden changed at different rates. There were significant differences in HCV burden between the genders, age groups and geographical distribution. The burden of HCV showed relatively higher in lower socio-demographic index (SDI) regions, with an ASIR of 237.32/10,000. Acute hepatitis C was more common in low SDI regions, while cirrhosis and liver cancer due to HCV were more common in high SDI regions. By 2030, global HCV-related liver diseases ASIR is projected to rise to 156.55 per 100,000, the burden related to HCV may still at relatively high level worldwide. Our study highlighted the continued significance of HCV as a global public health issue either in the past and in the near future. It is crucial that HCV prevention and control measures, such as screening, early treatment must be targeted and vigorously implemented to achieve the elimination of hepatitis C.