Report highlights faults in UK's response to hepatitis C

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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”.

Glossary

pegylated interferon

Pegylated interferon, also known as peginterferon, is a chemically modified form of the standard interferon, sometimes used to treat hepatitis B and C. The difference between interferon and peginterferon is the PEG, which stands for a molecule called polyethylene glycol. The PEG does nothing to fight the virus. But by attaching it to the interferon (which does fight the virus), the interferon will stay in the blood much longer. 

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.