England on track to become one of first countries to eliminate hepatitis C

Aug 10, 2026

England is on track to become one of the first countries globally to eliminate hepatitis C, having already met the World Health Organization's benchmark of treating 80% of known cases. Since 2015, over 100,000 people in England have received curative antiviral treatments, and deaths from the virus have fallen by 36% over the last decade. NHS England is utilizing targeted testing initiatives, including free home-testing kits, to identify remaining undiagnosed individuals among at-risk populations.

England hepatitis C elimination progress

▪Estimates from 2024 indicate that 84.6% of adults living with hepatitis C in England have been diagnosed, just short of the 90% target
▪Since 2015, NHS England has diagnosed and treated more than 100,000 people for hepatitis C
▪Figures from 2024 suggest that approximately 50,200 adults in England are living with hepatitis C
▪England is on track to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, according to health officials in August 2026
▪Deaths associated with hepatitis C in England have fallen by 36% over the 10 years leading up to August 2026

NHS testing initiatives

▪NHS England offers a free, confidential home self-testing kit online that individuals can order directly without needing to speak to a GP
▪NHS England has utilized emergency department blood tests, GP registration testing, and free at-home self-testing kits to identify previously undiagnosed hepatitis C cases

Antiviral treatment outcomes

▪Paul Eatwell, a 65-year-old grandfather from Blackburn, Lancashire, was cured of hepatitis C after receiving a 12-week treatment of one tablet per day
▪Taking antiviral tablets for a period of 8 to 12 weeks can cure more than 95% of hepatitis C cases

Hepatitis C transmission risks

▪Between 1970 and 1991, more than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C from contaminated blood products, resulting in approximately 3,000 deaths
▪Hepatitis C is a virus that attacks the liver and is transmitted through contact with infected blood, such as by sharing needles

At-risk population testing recommendations

▪Health officials urge individuals who have had a tattoo abroad or who use or have previously used injectable drugs to order a hepatitis C home-testing kit
▪Health officials urge adults born in Ukraine, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia, or Slovakia to test for hepatitis C due to pre-1991 medical or dental infection risks

WHO 2030 elimination targets

▪NHS England has already met the World Health Organization benchmark of treating 80% of all known hepatitis C cases
▪England has yet to meet the target of a 65% reduction in hepatitis C-related mortality compared with 2015 levels, but may do so before 2030
▪England is on course to beat the World Health Organization's 2030 target for eliminating viral hepatitis