England is poised to wipe out hepatitis C, achieving the World Health Organization's 2030 elimination goal a full four years ahead of schedule, health officials announced today.
More than 100,000 individuals have received diagnosis and treatment for the blood-borne liver virus since 2015, according to NHS England.
The WHO established its benchmark in 2016, stipulating that 80 per cent of identified cases should be treated by the end of the decade. England now stands among the first nations globally to meet that threshold.
Annual fatalities caused by the disease have dropped by 36 per cent over the same period.
The virus, which spreads through contact with contaminated blood, can lead to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and cancer if untreated. A course of antiviral medication lasting eight to twelve weeks successfully cures over 95 per cent of patients.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper declared England was "leading the world in wiping out this disease for good".
She highlighted several NHS programmes that have proved instrumental in identifying patients who were previously unaware they carried the virus.
Among these measures are blood screening in accident and emergency departments, testing when individuals register with a GP, and complimentary at-home testing kits.
These initiatives have been crucial in uncovering hidden cases, given that early-stage hepatitis C infections frequently produce no symptoms whatsoever. Without detection and treatment, patients risk developing severe complications, including liver failure and cancer.
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Ms Cooper's remarks reflect a genuine milestone for the health service, with England now at the forefront of a global effort to consign this dangerous virus to history.
Professor Frankie Swords, the NHS's national medical director, said: "Hepatitis C can cause serious harm, including liver failure and cancer, yet many people live with it for years without knowing or having any symptoms at all until it's too late."
She praised the collaborative work of public health teams and charities in tracking down undetected cases, describing the treatment of more than 100,000 people in a single decade as "really encouraging".
Prof Swords added: "England is now leading the world in the mission to eliminate this disease and is on course to beat the WHO's 2030 target, but we are determined to keep up the momentum and finish the job."
Dr Sema Mandal of the UK Health Security Agency echoed that assessment, calling the dramatic decline in cases since 2015 evidence of the tangible impact delivered by expanded screening and modern curative therapies.
Rachel Halford, chief executive of the Hepatitis C Trust, said: "We are on the cusp of one of the most significant public health achievements in our country's history. To sustain this momentum, continued commitment and long-term investment are essential."
Elsewhere in Britain, Scotland reported in 2025 that 85 per cent of its hepatitis C cases had been successfully treated. NHS Wales disclosed last month that 76 per cent of patients had completed treatment by the close of 2025.
Paul Eatwell, a 65-year-old from Blackburn, discovered he had the virus only after routine liver function tests revealed an abnormality. He said: "My first reaction was disbelief. I remember saying: 'Are you sure? Surely there's been some mistake.'"
Officials are urging those with potential risk factors — including tattoos obtained overseas, a history of injecting drugs, or origins in certain Eastern European countries — to order a free, confidential home-testing kit.
This landmark achievement arrives against a sobering historical backdrop. The infected blood scandal, described as the worst treatment disaster in NHS history, saw more than 30,000 people across the United Kingdom contract HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood and blood products administered between the 1970s and early 1990s.
Approximately 3,000 individuals lost their lives as a consequence.
A public inquiry into the affair concluded the catastrophe "could largely have been avoided" and determined a cover-up had taken place.
The progress now being made against hepatitis C therefore carries particular resonance, demonstrating the health service has transformed its approach to the virus that once caused such devastating harm through its own failings.
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