England set to eliminate hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood infected with the virus, such as by sharing needles with someone who has it.

Donor blood is already screened for it.

It is a silent disease, meaning people often have no symptoms until much later.

Untreated, it can cause serious and potentially life-threatening liver damage.

NHS England says that since 2015, more than 100,000 people have been diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C, meaning the country is already meeting that target.

Another goal – a 65% reduction in hepatitis C-related mortality compared with 2015 levels – has yet to be met, but might be before the 2030 target date.

Around 50,200 adults are living with hepatitis C, figures for England in 2024 suggest.

Estimates indicate 84.6% of those living with hepatitis C have been diagnosed – just short of the 90% target.

The Hepatitis C Trust says England is “on the cusp” of one of the most significant public health achievements in our country’s history.

Prof Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, added: “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.

“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.”

Adults born in Ukraine, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia or Slovakia are particularly urged to test, as some may have been infected through medical or dental procedures before 1991.

People can order a free, confidential NHS home self-testing kit, external without needing to speak to a GP.