England is on track to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, official figures show. The condition, a blood-borne viral infection that attacks the liver, has been targeted by national screening and treatment drives. Health authorities report sustained declines in new diagnoses as a result of expanded access to testing and the roll-out of highly effective therapies.
Public health agencies say the progress aligns with targets set by the World Health Organization for eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat. Elimination is defined by substantial reductions in both new infections and hepatitis-related deaths, requiring coordinated surveillance, prevention and treatment programmes. Officials highlight that meeting those benchmarks involves continued monitoring and transparent reporting of incidence and treatment outcomes.
Expanded testing and rapid access to treatment have been central to the recent gains. Clinics and community services have increased screening among high-risk groups and introduced simplified referral pathways into care. Use of modern direct-acting antiviral medicines, which cure most infections when taken as directed, has reduced the pool of people living with chronic infection and lowered the risk of onward transmission.
NHS services and local public health teams report higher treatment uptake alongside harm reduction measures such as safer injecting programmes and targeted outreach in custodial settings. These combined actions have driven down prevalence in several regions and contributed to fewer hospital admissions for liver disease linked to hepatitis C. Health professionals caution that sustained effort is required to reach populations who remain under-tested.
Health authorities emphasise the need to maintain surveillance, invest in outreach and ensure equitable access to diagnostics and therapy to secure elimination. Continued collaboration between national agencies, community providers and clinical services will be necessary to consolidate gains and prevent resurgence. Officials describe the recent data as evidence that elimination is achievable when testing and treatment are prioritised at scale.
