China Hepatitis Prevention and Control Foundation has announced: According to the sero-epidemiological survey of viral hepatitis in China, the rate of anti-hepatitis C positivity in the general population in China is 3.2%, with about 38 million people infected with hepatitis C virus. The number of new cases of hepatitis C in China is increasing year by year. Experts warn that hepatitis C is known as the “silent killer” and is more likely than hepatitis B to turn into chronic hepatitis and develop into liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Currently, there is a general lack of attention to hepatitis C. The results of the “Hepatitis C Awareness Survey” initiated by the China Hepatitis Prevention and Control Foundation show that the awareness rate of hepatitis C is low, with only 1% of people having a correct understanding of the transmission route and preventive measures for hepatitis C. The testing rate is low, with only 5% of respondents having been tested for hepatitis C antibodies. The main reasons for the low awareness of hepatitis C are: the insidious onset of hepatitis C, which is easily ignored; the confusion between hepatitis C and hepatitis B; and the lack of public understanding of risk factors for the disease. The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Hepatitis C, published by the Chinese Medical Association’s Hepatology Section and Infectious Diseases Branch, state that there is no effective vaccine to prevent hepatitis C. However, with early antiviral therapy to clear or continuously suppress the hepatitis C virus in the body, liver damage can be improved or reduced and disease progression to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer can be stopped. The only internationally recognized effective treatment is alpha interferon combined with ribavirin therapy. To further improve efficacy, pegylated interferon has replaced regular interferon in the US and European guidelines for the treatment of hepatitis C. Combining ribavirin has become the gold standard for hepatitis C treatment. Zhuang Hui, honorary chairman of the Chinese Medical Association’s Society of Hepatology and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, pointed out that clinical trials at home and abroad have shown that more than 60% of patients can recover with appropriate antiviral therapy.