Hepatitis C self-testing research in Nasarawa

Hepatitis C is an under-recognised public health challenge in Nigeria, especially among high-risk groups and people living with HIV. Facility-based testing misses many people because of stigma, limited access and low awareness. Hepatitis C virus self-testing (HCVST) could expand testing, speed up diagnosis and strengthen linkage to care.

In 2023, in Nasarawa State, Jhpiego Nigeria and the STAR self-testing initiative studied the feasibility, acceptability and linkage outcomes of HCV self-testing among key populations and people living with HIV. It was one of the first systematic efforts in Nigeria to generate evidence on delivering HCVST in real-world settings.

What the research explored

The study introduced blood-based and oral-fluid self-test kits in clinical and community settings linked to ART clinics and one-stop shops for key populations. It asked:

• Feasibility: can self-testing work reliably in ART clinics and community outreach?
• Acceptability: do people find the kits easy to use and culturally appropriate?
• Linkage: after a reactive result, how many people get confirmatory RNA PCR testing and treatment?
• Delivery models: which approaches best reach people that facility-based systems miss?

Preliminary findings indicated that HCV self-testing is feasible and acceptable. Nearly everyone with a reactive self-test received confirmatory testing, and a high proportion of those diagnosed started and completed treatment.

ORHI’s role

As an implementing community-based organisation, ORHI supported community engagement, mobilised participants and linked people to testing sites and follow-up care. Our outreach networks made sure high-risk and underserved people knew about self-testing and were supported through testing and treatment, with dignity and confidentiality.

The evidence could shape national policy and scale-up of hepatitis C services, helping Nigeria move towards the World Health Organization’s elimination targets.