This 1st Edition of the Prevention and Management Guidelines for Hepatitis B and C in Malawi covers prevention, screening, diagnosis, and differentiated treatment. The target audience is program managers at the national and district level, and front-line health workers such as Clinicians, Nurses, Laboratory technicians, Environmental health officers and Clerks. The guidelines focus on Hepatitis B and C as they are estimated to cause most morbidity and mortality among all known Hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D, and E) in Malawi.
The document describes how to tailor services to specific risk groups such as healthcare workers, people who inject drugs and pregnant women. There is an emphasis on effective integration of viral hepatitis HIV, STI, and other health services.
The guidelines were developed by a multidisciplinary team of national experts on the basis of normative guidance from WHO that was adapted to the Malawi health system context. Program implementation started in January 2023.