England is close to eliminating hepatitis C after passing a key WHO treatment benchmark, NHS England has said.
Global health leaders have set out plans to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030, while England has already surpassed the World Health Organization benchmark of treating 80 per cent of known cases.
NHS England said the country is “leading the world” in efforts to eliminate the infection, with deaths linked to the virus falling by 36 per cent over the past decade.
Professor Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, said: “Hepatitis C can cause serious harm, including liver failure and cancer, yet many people live with it for years without knowing or having any symptoms at all until it’s too late.
“That’s why the NHS has worked hard alongside public health teams and charities to find and treat hidden cases, and it’s really encouraging that over 100,000 people have now received potentially life-saving treatment in just a decade.
“England is now leading the world in the mission to eliminate this disease, and on course to beat the WHO’s 2030 target, but we are determined to keep up the momentum and finish the job.
“With hepatitis C curable in more than nine out of 10 cases, we are committed to finding and treating everyone who needs support and would urge those at greater risk to come forward by ordering a free and confidential home-testing kit online.”
The announcement comes just after the closure of the Infected Blood Inquiry, which examined how 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.
Rachel Halford, chief executive of The Hepatitis C Trust, said: “We are on the cusp of one of the most significant public health achievements in our country’s history.
“To sustain this momentum, continued commitment and long-term investment are essential.”
People at risk of undiagnosed hepatitis C, including those who have had a tattoo abroad, people who have moved to England from certain eastern European countries and those who use or have previously used injectable drugs, are being urged to order a confidential home-testing kit.
