England set to be one of the first countries to eliminate hepatitis C

England is on course to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, according to figures reported by the BBC on 11 August. The target of treating 80 percent of all known cases has already been met, and deaths from the virus have fallen by 36 percent over the past decade.

A silent disease

Hepatitis C attacks the liver and spreads through contact with infected blood, for example by sharing needles; donated blood is already screened for it. It is often called a silent disease because people usually have no symptoms until much later, and without treatment it can cause serious, potentially life-threatening liver damage. Modern antiviral tablets taken for eight to twelve weeks cure more than 95 percent of cases.

NHS England credits programmes such as blood tests in accident and emergency departments, testing at GP registration and free at-home kits with finding people who were previously undiagnosed.

Where the numbers stand

More than 100,000 people have been diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C since 2015. A second goal — a 65 percent reduction in hepatitis C-related deaths compared with 2015 levels — has not yet been reached, but officials believe it could be met before the World Health Organization's 2030 target date. Around 50,200 adults were living with hepatitis C in England in 2024, and an estimated 84.6 percent of them had been diagnosed, just short of the 90 percent target.

The Hepatitis C Trust says England is "on the cusp" of one of the most significant public health achievements in the country's history. Professor Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, said England is now leading the world in the mission to eliminate the disease and is on course to beat the WHO's 2030 target.

Who is being urged to test

Adults born in Ukraine, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia or Slovakia are particularly urged to come forward, as some may have been infected through medical or dental procedures before 1991. Free, confidential home testing kits can be ordered online without speaking to a GP.

The BBC also reported the case of Paul Eatwell, 65, from Blackburn, who was diagnosed after a routine blood test. "My first reaction was disbelief," he said. He did not feel ill, and while it has not been established how he caught the virus, surgery in South Africa decades ago has been suggested as a possible cause.

From 1970 to 1991, more than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products. About 3,000 have since died, and a public inquiry found that authorities covered up the scandal.