A comprehensive article on C-FREE-1 study is published in WHO Bulletin

At the end of 2025, the efforts of DLP and partners in conducting the C-FREE-1 study culminated in the acceptance for publication of a comprehensive article in the peer-reviewed high-impact Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The open-access article disseminates information globally on the detailed design, results, and impact of the C-FREE model of community-based care for high-risk populations:

• 2,871 participants coming from as many as 50 provinces in Thailand were enrolled in the study across 10 sites in the country, making it one of the largest cohort studies of services for people who use drugs in the world.

• 1,134 participants started treatment for hepatitis C, and 95.1% of those were cured (as per protocol analysis), demonstrating high effectiveness and impact.

• C-FREE-1 study results contributed to the removal of drug use as an exclusion criterion for treatment of hepatitis C in the Thai national treatment program in Nov 2022.

• Reinfection was low, and the cost per HCV cure was estimated at only 28,821 Thai Bahts (or around 907 US$), demonstrating high value for money of these services. 

• C-FREE partners advocate for government funding support and investment to sustain these community services as part of the national treatment program. 

The full-length article can be accessed through the WHO Bulletin at the following LINK!

We are grateful to all participants who trusted these services, all staff at DLP, and all partners who made it a success, as well as the funding agencies from the Global Fund and the US government through FHI360 (until Jan 2025).

C-FREE continues as the C-FREE-2 project/study, and we plan to write an article on the specific results later this year.