China is set to launch a hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening project to promote early detection and treatment of those at high risk of the life-threatening infection, such as gay men, intravenous drug users and dialysis patients.

Wei Lai, president of the Chinese Society of Liver Diseases of the Chinese Medical Association, spoke of the upcoming project on Friday at the 2013 Tsinghua-Janssen Public Health Day event.

A set of official standards for hepatitis C screening and management is likely to be issued at the end of June, he noted.