The UK is on course to be the first country to eliminate Hepatitis C, ahead of the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s 2030 commitment. 

A programme by the NHS to eliminate Hepatitis C has already treated over 50,000 people in the UK since 2015. It was expanded in 2021 to include children under twelve; so far the results have been outstanding. As well as the obvious good news that comes with tackling disease, almost half of the children treated come from the poorest areas in the UK, which will boost the NHS’s plans to tackle health in impoverished areas.

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Hepatitis C and its dangers

The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a liver infection which is spread through contact with blood from an infected person. Unlike HIV or Hepatitis A and B, there are relatively low numbers of sufferers who contracted the disease through unprotected sex, although it is possible. Sharing needles is a common way to spread the virus. Although it is believed a foetus cannot contract hepatitis C from their mother while in the womb, children can contract the virus during childbirth if their mother is positive at the time of birth. The amount of babies who contract the virus from positive mothers is around one in twenty. Although not a massive amount, the risks are obviously much higher with an infant, and as such treatment must begin as soon as possible. If untreated Hepatitis C can be fatal, or lead to worse diseases such as liver cancer.

Patients in this programme are treated with antiviral tablets and follow up blood tests. Once the patient receives two negative tests, they are deemed cured. So far, the treatment success rate is at an unprecedented 99%. Treating the disease as early as possible greatly reduces the risk of the child contracting cancer or serious liver diseases later in life.

Is this treatment a stepping stone to helping those battling Sickle Cell Disease?

Medical Director for NHS England Professor Sir Stephen Powis stressed the importance of the work in showing:

‘what can be achieved when the health service, life sciences and charities work together to get new treatments to those patients who need them.’

Hopefully other diseases that have a higher proportion of low income patients, such as Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) will be tackled in the future. SCD currently affects every one in 2000 births in the UK, but often is not treated, or if it is the patients are given substandard care. Those suffering from SCD often face difficulties in getting treatment. As there are no visible symptoms, oftentimes their pain is not taken seriously by healthcare staff. There are also countless cases of racial profiling and outright racism, as the patients are majority Afro-Caribbean.

The programme to eradicate Hepatitis C shows how productive the NHS and UK generally can be when they are working together against a common goal. It is a very good step in the right direction to combating diseases such as SCD.