England On Track To Eliminate Hepatitis C Years Ahead Of Schedule

England will become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate a serious liver disease thanks to a major drug deal and a targeted screening program, officials say.

The country expects to be free of hepatitis C by 2025 – five years before the World Health Organisation’s global 2030 goal — because of new treatments and targeted screening programmes.

Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus that causes liver inflammation, as well as harm to other parts of the body like the brain, lymphatic system and the digestive system. Without intervention, it can lead to liver cancer and liver failure.

But antiviral drugs are highly effective at treating the disease for more than 95% of people.

Officials at England’s National Health Service say the country has seen hepatitis C deaths fall by more than a third since the introduction of a five-year deal worth nearly £1 billion ($1.2 billion) for antiviral drugs.

The public health body has also worked alongside non-governmental organisations such as St Mungo’s in Oxford to run screening programmes that seek out people at higher risk of disease and offer same-day testing.

Hepatitis C disproportionately affects people who have experienced homelessness, who may be more likely to share toiletries like razors that can harbour the virus. Other routes of transmission include improperly sterilised barber tools or tattoo equipment, shared drug paraphernalia and haemodyalisis.

Sara Hide, a Hepatitis C Co-ordinator at St Mungo’s said in a statement: “People who’ve experienced homelessness are at a higher risk of contracting Hepatitis C. This can be due to substance use but also sharing toothbrushes, razors and other general lifestyle factors associated with sleeping rough.

“With treatment for Hepatitis C now less invasive — a course of medication for 8-12 weeks — we’ve seen an uptake in people responding to our screening services. We also screen for other conditions at the same time to identify clients that might need extra health support.”

The NHS estimates some 70,000 people have been located and cured of the disease through initiatives targeting hard-to-reach people. The number of people needing liver transplants because of hepatitis C has also fallen by two-thirds over the last six years.

In the U.K., people who had blood transfusions before 1992 are also at a heightened risk — something a new program that uses medical records to spot risk factors takes into account.

Before this year, many individuals in need of a transfusion were given blood from high-risk populations, including U.S. prisoners. Some of these people went on to develop the disease: a scandal currently being investigated under the Infected Blood Inquiry.

Rachel Halford, chief executive at the U.K.’s Hepatitis C trust, said an awareness campaign was now needed to help reduce stigma around the disease.

She said: “The progress that has been made towards elimination is truly astounding. We now need a final concerted effort to make sure we reach all those that may be affected and reach elimination. Investment in a national campaign to improve public awareness of hepatitis C to reduce stigma and encourage people who may have been at risk to get tested is paramount.”