More than 100,000 people in England have been diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C since 2015, according to NHS England, meaning the country has already met one key milestone toward the World Health Organization's 2030 elimination target. Around 50,200 adults were estimated to be living with the condition in England as of 2024.
England on track to meet WHO hepatitis C elimination target ahead of 2030 deadline
More than 100,000 people in England have been diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C since 2015, according to NHS England, meaning the country has already met one key milestone toward the World Health Organization's 2030 elimination target. Around 50,200 adults were estimated to be living with the condition in England as of 2024.
Hepatitis C is transmitted through contact with infected blood, including through shared needles. Donor blood is screened for the virus. The disease is described as silent, as those infected frequently experience no symptoms until a later stage, by which point untreated infection can result in serious or potentially fatal liver damage.
Estimates indicate that 84.6% of people living with hepatitis C in England have been diagnosed, falling slightly short of a 90% target. A separate goal of reducing hepatitis C-related mortality by 65% compared with 2015 levels has not yet been met, though it may be achieved before the 2030 deadline, according to the source.
The Hepatitis C Trust has described England as being 'on the cusp' of one of the most significant public health achievements in the country's history.
NHS national medical director Prof Frankie Swords said England is 'leading the world in the mission to eliminate this disease' and called on those at greater risk to request a free home-testing kit.
Adults born in Ukraine, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia, or Slovakia are among those particularly urged to test, as some may have been exposed to the virus through medical or dental procedures carried out before 1991. A free, confidential home self-testing kit is available through the NHS without a GP referral.
- The source does not establish the current total number of hepatitis C-related deaths or the baseline 2015 mortality figure needed to assess progress toward the 65% reduction target.
- The source does not specify what methodology was used to estimate the 50,200 figure or the 84.6% diagnosis rate.
- The source does not explain what criteria define 'elimination' under the WHO's 2030 target beyond the two metrics mentioned.
- The source does not state what treatments are used or their efficacy rates.
- The source does not clarify whether the 100,000 treated figure represents a cumulative or annual count.
- The source does not indicate what proportion of the 50,200 currently living with hepatitis C are receiving treatment.