UKHSA data reveals a 45% decline in hepatitis C prevalence in England
28 Jul 2023
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Source: PMLiVE
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published new data showing that there were an estimated 70,649 people living in England with hepatitis C in 2022, marking a 45% decrease from the number recorded in 2015.
Since 2015, NHS England has treated over 80,000 people for the infection as part of its national elimination programme.
Of those treated, more than 80% were from the most deprived areas in England, which the UKHSA says highlights “the role of eliminating hepatitis C as a key driver of reducing health inequalities”.
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that can cause life-threatening liver disease, including cancer. However, those infected often have no symptoms until years later when their liver has already been badly damaged.
Spread through blood-to-blood contact, the virus is commonly contracted through sharing needles contaminated with the infection, but it can also be contracted through the sharing of razors or toothbrushes.
Dr Sema Mandal, deputy director of Blood Borne Viruses at UKHSA, stressed that those who "have ever injected drugs – even if it was only once or years ago – […] could be at risk of hepatitis C" and encouraged people to get an at-home test kit or see a GP.
For the UKHSA and NHS England, eliminating hepatitis C and hepatitis B is a key priority in reducing the impact of infectious disease in the UK, as well as meeting the World Health Organization’s elimination target by 2030.
The UKHSA recently announced its three-year strategy to tackle national and global health, including the hepatitis C target, setting out its mission to prepare for, prevent and respond to health threats, save lives and protect livelihoods.
Despite progress in recent years in diagnosis and treatment, the UKHSA’s latest data shows that a small number of successfully treated individuals become re-infected with the virus.
The UKHSA is working with partners and has recently enabled operational delivery networks to streamline its own data and focus on the remaining people that need to be found and treated.
In line with the elimination programme, NHS England expanded its options for finding the remaining cases of hepatitis C across all settings.
Since earlier this year, over 4,500 people have ordered free and confidential online testing kits, allowing at-home testing.
Rachel Halford, chief executive of the Hepatitis C Trust, said the progress towards hepatitis C elimination in England demonstrates “the importance of collaboration between affected communities, government, and healthcare professionals in order to achieve success".
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