The masterclass "Standard of Care for Hepatitis C Virus Infection" had a practical focus and was tailored for professionals who already have experience in treating HCV infection.

The event was held on May 21, 2025, as part of the project “Simplified HCV integrated management (SHIM) model in methadone clinics in Ukraine”. The project is funded by the Western-Eastern European Partnership Initiative on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and TB (WEEPI) and implemented by the Ukrainian Institute on Public Health Policy in educational collaboration with the European Institute of Public Health Policy and the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

The trainer of the masterclass – Prof. Ihor Zaitsev (MD, Professor at the Department of Therapy, Infectious Diseases and Dermatovenereology, Postgraduate Education Faculty, O.O. Bohomolets National Medical University) – helped participants deeply explore the following topics:

• Extended and structured indications for HCV screening;
• Whether it is reasonable to use anti-HCV IgG by Western blot for screening;
• Acute vs. chronic hepatitis C: how reliable are screening tests during the acute phase?
• Recommended duration of antiviral therapy for acute hepatitis C;
• What does it mean if the virus genotype is not determined? What if the genotype is identified but the subtype is not?
• Pre-treatment assessment: when is Fib-4 or APRI insufficient for staging fibrosis?
• Who should not be treated using the simplified regimen?
• Should resistance testing be done after failed DAA treatment, and how to interpret and apply the results?
• Treatment restrictions for patients with decompensated cirrhosis – and what are the risks of ignoring them?
• What to do if a patient misses 20 consecutive days of DAA therapy – restart or continue?
• Can antiviral therapy for hepatitis C be given without treating coexisting hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection?

After the lecture, participants received answers to practical clinical questions and completed a final assessment. Those who scored 70% or more received 10 CPD credits. 

We thank all participants for their engagement and professional curiosity! We hope this session was useful and inspiring for your clinical practice.