|
The landscape of viral hepatitis, which is one of the most important threats to the health of Koreans 40~50 years of age, has changed during the past decade. Hepatitis A has taken on increased importance, vaccination for hepatitis B has begun, the advent of new antiviral agents for hepatitis B has arrived, and hepatitis C has been found to induce decreased prevalence of cirrhotics and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, up to the present, major problems remain, including a lack of awareness of the availability of new drugs and limited coverage byhealth reimbursement systems. Notably, the high costs for new hepatitis C drugs should provoke consideration of how to balance distributions of limited medical resources in the near future.
|