Accelerating access to hepatitis C diagnostics and treatment: Overcoming barriers in low- and middle-income countries - Global progress report 2020 Format The 2020 global report on access to hepatitis C diagnostics and treatment is being published at an unprecedented time for global health. The data presented in this report were collected in 2019. Since then, the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic has spread to countries and populations worldwide, resulting in 79 million infections and about 1.7 million deaths by end December 2020. Many countries are already facing major disruptions to essential health services. They risk a reversal of decades of progress in health and development. The pandemic is a strong reminder that we need to continue to invest in building resilient health systems for universal health coverage and respond to emergencies. It is also an urgent call to maintain the momentum towards achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.