Key Takeaway:
- England hepatitis C elimination is nearing, with more than 100,000 people treated since 2015.
- Deaths linked to hepatitis C have fallen 36% over the past decade, supported by expanded testing and effective antiviral treatment.
- Health officials urge at-risk people to test, as treatment cures more than 95% of cases.
England is nearing hepatitis C elimination after more than 100,000 people received treatment since 2015, driven by expanded testing, NHS programs and curative antiviral drugs.
Expanded Testing Finds Hidden Hepatitis C Cases
NHS England said England is among a small number of countries to have surpassed the World Health Organization benchmark of treating 80% of known hepatitis C cases, marking significant progress toward England hepatitis C elimination. Deaths associated with the virus have fallen 36% over the past decade.
Hepatitis C spreads through contact with infected blood. Many people have no symptoms, but untreated infection can cause serious liver damage and potentially life-threatening complications.
Treatment with antiviral drugs for eight to 12 weeks cures more than 95% of cases, according to health officials. NHS efforts have included blood testing in emergency departments, testing during general practitioner registration and free home-testing kits, supporting continued progress toward England hepatitis C elimination.
Professor Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, said the NHS has worked with public health teams and charities to identify people who have the virus without knowing it.
“England is now leading the world in the mission to eliminate this disease,” Swords said, adding that officials want to maintain momentum and reach people who still need testing and treatment.
Officials Urge People At Risk To Test
Health officials are urging people at higher risk of undiagnosed hepatitis C to use confidential home-testing services as England hepatitis C elimination efforts continue. Those who have had a tattoo abroad, previously used injectable drugs or moved to England from certain Eastern European countries are among those encouraged to test.
Adults born in Ukraine, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia or Slovakia are particularly encouraged to seek testing. Officials said some people may have been exposed through medical or dental procedures before 1991.
Rachel Halford, chief executive of The Hepatitis C Trust, called the progress a major public health achievement but said continued investment will be needed to sustain England hepatitis C elimination efforts.
“We are on the cusp of one of the most significant public health achievements in our country’s history,” Halford said.
The UK Health Security Agency said the decline in cases since 2015 demonstrates the effect of broader testing and continued access to effective treatment.
Hepatitis C Effort Follows Blood Scandal
Paul Eatwell, 65, of Blackburn, Lancashire, discovered he had hepatitis C after routine liver-function tests found an abnormality. He said he was initially surprised because he did not feel ill.
Eatwell said treatment involved one tablet a day for 12 weeks and several blood tests. He urged people who believe they may be at risk to get tested rather than worry about how they may have contracted the virus.
The progress toward England hepatitis C elimination comes shortly after the closure of the Infected Blood Inquiry, which examined the contaminated blood scandal involving the NHS.
More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after receiving contaminated blood and blood products between the 1970s and early 1990s. More than 3,000 people have died, while survivors continue to face lifelong health effects.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said England is “leading the world” in efforts to eliminate hepatitis C, while Dr. Sema Mandal of the UK Health Security Agency said treating more than 100,000 people in a decade brings the country closer to eliminating the virus as a public health threat.
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