The United Kingdom is facing a “hepatitis C time bomb” because of a failure to identify and treat individuals with the infection, according to a report published by the Hepatitis C Trust on September 29th called The UK vs Europe: Losing the fight against hepatitis C. The report contains research conducted by the University of Southampton comparing the UK’s response to hepatitis C to that of other western European countries, with the UK coming out worse for prevention, surveillance and treatment rates.
There are currently 69,000 diagnosed cases of hepatitis C virus in the UK, and it is estimated that over 450,000 people, just under 1% of the UK population are infected with the virus.
However, the report highlights that “there is a low awareness of hepatitis C, not only amongst the general public, but also among the medical profession”.
Although a national hepatitis C awareness campaign was promised in 2004, the report highlights that it will only receive £2.5 million of funding over two years and suggests that the Department of Health is reluctant to provide further funding through fear “of over-taxing existing services.”
Other faults in the UK’s response to hepatitis C virus are also highlighted in the report. In any year, only 5% of patients with diagnosed hepatitis C virus are receiving treatment approved by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence. This consists of pegylated interferon with ribavirin, and although it has unpleasant side-effects, it can clear infection in up to 60% of patients with easier to treat hepatitis C genotypes who are not coinfected with HIV.
Only one in seven people with hepatitis C virus have had their infection diagnosed, the report suggests, and the UK is criticised for having no proper system of hepatitis C surveillance.
The overall lack of action could mean that the UK faces a “time bomb” which will have substantial human and financial costs. The report authors contrast the UK’s response to hepatitis C to that of France, which is thought to have a similar percentage of the population infected with hepatitis C. In France a government-backed campaign is credited with doubling detection rates, increasing patient awareness, and reducing liver-related deaths.
Testing for hepatitis C virus is recommended for all HIV-positive individuals in the UK at the time of their HIV diagnosis and at regular intervals thereafter for patients with risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection.