The WHO has set a target to eliminate HCV as a major global public health threat by 2030, with targets to increase HCV diagnoses and treatment, and reduce the number of new HCV infections and liver-related mortality. Timely diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is critical to achieve elimination goals. In Australia, although direct-acting antiviral HCV treatment initially exceeded expectations, the number of people initiating therapy has declined. Improving HCV treatment uptake to reduce disease burden is a key aim of global, national and state-based HCV strategies.

Low rates of HCV testing, diagnosis, and linkage to care are a major barrier to increasing treatment to achieve elimination targets. While current diagnostic pathways require multiple visits to a practitioner reducing the proportion who receive a diagnosis, point-of-care HCV testing has been demonstrated to increase testing and linkage to care. In Australia, there is an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate whether finger-stick point-of-care HCV RNA testing could be integrated into routine practice to enhance HCV testing and treatment among people who inject drugs.