England set to be one of the first countries to eliminate hepatitis C

England is set to join a small group of nations that have managed to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat, according to recent reports.

The news has sparked considerable interest online, with health watchers noting this would mark a significant milestone in tackling a virus that has quietly affected millions worldwide for decades.

What this actually means

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that attacks the liver and can lead to serious complications including cirrhosis and liver cancer if left untreated. For years it was something of a silent epidemic — many people carried the virus without knowing it, as symptoms often don't appear until the liver is already damaged.

Elimination as a public health threat doesn't mean the virus has vanished entirely, but rather that new infections have dropped to very low levels and that the vast majority of people who have it are being diagnosed and treated. It's rather like declaring victory in a long campaign, even if the odd skirmish remains.

The achievement would put England in select company internationally, following countries like Egypt and Iceland that have made remarkable progress against the disease in recent years.

How we got here

The turnaround has been driven by several factors. Modern antiviral treatments can now cure hepatitis C in most cases with a simple course of tablets — a far cry from the gruelling interferon injections that were the standard treatment not so long ago. These newer drugs work in about eight to twelve weeks and have few side effects.

There's also been a concerted push to test people who might be at risk, particularly those who injected drugs in the past, received blood transfusions before screening was introduced in 1991, or had certain medical procedures abroad.

Prison screening programmes and needle exchange services have played their part too, helping to both treat existing cases and prevent new infections.

Why it matters

For those of a certain vintage, this is genuinely good news. Many people in their sixties, seventies, and beyond contracted hepatitis C through blood transfusions or medical procedures decades ago, long before anyone knew to screen for it. Some have lived with it for years without realising.

If you've ever had a blood transfusion before the early 1990s, or certain dental or medical work done abroad, it might be worth mentioning to your GP — a simple blood test can check.

Have you or anyone you know been affected by hepatitis C? Did you go through treatment, or perhaps only discovered you'd had it years ago? We'd be interested to hear your experiences.