Report: Hepatitis C prevalence falls by 45% in England, UKHSA
What are the main points?
- Data shows 70,649 people in England with Hepatitis C in 2022. This is 45% lower compared to 2015 and means more people have been treated and cured than there are people left to treat.
- However, challenges remain in diagnosis and treatment. A small amount of treated individuals can become re-infected. And of those treated, more than 80% are from the most deprived areas.
- NHSE has expanded options to fight remaining cases,launching a free and confidential online portal earlier this year. This enables at-home testing to detect and treat the virus.
- UKHSA’s strategy to eliminate the virus includes enhancing surveillance and evaluation, improving understanding of infection and re-infections, and reducing health inequalities.
- Eliminating Hepatitis C and Bis a key priority to meet the WHO’s elimination target by 2030.
EXPERT THOUGHT: DR SEMA MANDAL
Deputy Director of Blood Borne Viruses at UKHSA
‘Hepatitis C treatment has improved dramatically over recent years, but we need to identify people with the infection early to keep on track with elimination by 2030. Many people remain undiagnosed, often because they have no symptoms or are unaware that they have ever been at risk.’
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