England nears global milestone in hepatitis C elimination efforts
England has reached the target of treating 80% of known hepatitis C cases and is closing in on WHO's 2030 elimination goal.
According to NHS England, the country has fulfilled its aim of treating 80% of all known hepatitis C cases, and deaths linked to the virus have fallen 36% in the last ten years. The standard 8- to 12-week antiviral regimen cures more than 95% of infections. Nationwide initiatives such as emergency-department blood screening, general-practice testing, and free confidential home-testing kits have uncovered many hidden cases.
Since 2015, over 100,000 people have been diagnosed and treated, bringing England close to the WHO's 2030 elimination target. Approximately 50,200 adults are estimated to be living with the disease, with about 84.6% diagnosed, just shy of the 90% goal. Health officials continue to urge high-risk groups, especially recent migrants from certain Eastern European nations, to use the free testing service.
Why it matters
Eliminating hepatitis C would prevent thousands of future liver-related deaths and reduce long-term healthcare costs.
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