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Health chiefs said the blood-borne hepatitis C virus that can cause liver cancer is likely to be eradicated in England in just over two years, thanks in part to a scheme to treat the homeless.
NHS England said a groundbreaking drug deal and campaign to find extremely vulnerable people have together treated 70,000 people and significantly reduced deaths five years ahead of global targets.
A five-year contract worth almost £1 billion has brought antivirals to thousands of patients suffering from this potentially fatal disease.
Along with the drug program, “Research and Treatment” programs tracked people at risk, including the homeless.
Those who sleep rough have worse health problems because they lack regular contact with health services.
Deaths from hepatitis C – including liver disease and cancer – fell by 35%, above the target of 10% set by the World Health Organization.
Professor Sir Stephen Boyce, NHS England’s national medical director, said the NHS was “leading the world” in the campaign to save lives and eliminate hepatitis C while also addressing an “important” health disparity.
He said: “Thanks to targeted screening and because the NHS has a proven track record of drug agreements giving patients access to the latest medicines, we are on track to meet global targets and become the first country to eliminate Hep C by 2030 – which would be a landmark achievement.”
St Mungo is one of the charity’s providers of Find and Treat outreach programmes, which see specialist teams providing same day checks and support to complete a full course of treatment.
Sarah Hyde, hepatitis C coordinator at St Mungo’s in Oxford, said: “With treatment for hepatitis C now less invasive – an eight to 12-week course of treatment – we’ve seen a spread in people responding to our screening services.
“We are also screening for other conditions at the same time to identify clients who may need additional health support.”
3:51 Mental health deterioration among the homeless
Homeless people are more likely to contract the hepatitis C virus, sometimes because of drug use but also because of sharing things like toothbrushes and razors.
Hepatitis C usually does not show any symptoms until it has caused enough damage to cause liver disease. It can also lead to cancer.
Symptoms may include fatigue and difficulty concentrating. The virus is also linked to cardiovascular disease, mental health problems, kidney disease, and musculoskeletal pain.
Within six years, the number of people seeking a liver transplant due to the virus had fallen by two-thirds.
In 2020, the number of annual registrations of liver transplantation in patients with related diseases decreased from more than 140 per year to less than 50 per year.
This figure is expected to be lower in 2022, and the NHS is now on track to eliminate hepatitis C five years ahead of the WHO’s overall target for 2030.
The project also provided 80% of its treatments to individuals from communities in the poorer half of the population.
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