England is on course to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, after new figures showed significant progress in diagnosing and treating people living with the virus.
The country has already met its target of treating 80% of known hepatitis C cases. Deaths linked to the virus have also fallen by 36% over the past decade.
Health officials say England could achieve the World Health Organization’s 2030 elimination target if current efforts continue.
More Than 100,000 People Treated
Hepatitis C is a viral infection that attacks the liver. It is mainly transmitted through contact with infected blood, including through the sharing of needles.
The disease is often described as a “silent” infection because many people experience no symptoms until significant liver damage has developed.
If left untreated, hepatitis C can cause serious and potentially life-threatening liver disease.
NHS England says more than 100,000 people have been diagnosed and treated since 2015, helping the country reach its treatment target.
Antiviral tablets taken for eight to 12 weeks can cure more than 95% of cases, according to the figures cited by NHS England.
Testing Helps Find Undiagnosed Cases
Several initiatives have helped identify people who may have been living with the virus without knowing it.
These include blood testing in accident and emergency departments, testing during GP registration and free home-testing kits.
Figures from 2024 estimate that about 50,200 adults were living with hepatitis C in England. Of these, around 84.6% had been diagnosed, slightly below the 90% target.
The country also aims to reduce hepatitis C-related deaths by 65% compared with 2015 levels. That target has not yet been reached, but health officials believe it could be achieved before 2030.
Health Officials Urge People to Test
Prof Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, said England was making strong progress towards eliminating the disease.
She urged people at higher risk of infection to come forward and use the free NHS home-testing service.
Adults born in countries including Ukraine, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia and Slovakia have been particularly encouraged to test.
Some people from these countries may have been exposed to hepatitis C through medical or dental procedures carried out before 1991.
Free and confidential NHS home-testing kits are available without requiring an appointment with a GP.
Past Infected Blood Scandal
England’s progress comes against the background of the UK’s infected blood scandal.
Between 1970 and 1991, more than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products and transfusions.
Around 3,000 people have since died, with further deaths expected.
A public inquiry into the scandal found that authorities had covered up the risks and exposed patients to unacceptable dangers. The scandal has been described as the biggest treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.
The Hepatitis C Trust says England is now close to achieving a major public health milestone.
