Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is estimated that between 130 -150 million people worldwide are infected with the virus, more than half of them still undiagnosed, and that some 700,000 people die each year from hepatitis C-related liver diseases such as cirrhosis or liver cancer. To date, existing treatments to eliminate the virus have been complex, with a low rate of effectiveness and highly damaging side effects. The arrival of the so-called new generation drugs has been considered a great discovery by specialists, as they allow practically all patients to be cured easily, quickly and with hardly any symptoms and, most importantly, they open up the real possibility of eradicating the disease in the coming decades.

Despite the evidence of the effectiveness of these treatments, their implementation involves a large economic investment for the health system. Against this backdrop, the need arises to create a strategic plan in each country, usually drawn up by a coalition of different specialists and political representatives, with the indispensable participation of patient groups and associations.

Several meetings, studies, negotiations, and even lobbying by affected people have been necessary in many countries to initiate the processes of integration and implementation of new treatments. Many of these countries have understood that immediate investment in the new treatments means not only saving lives, but also great economic savings in the medium term. In other territories, however, a resolution in favour of developing a strategic plan that includes new generation drugs seems to be still a distant goal.