Hepatitis C treatment trends diverge in the US and England

Hepatitis C treatment trends show diverging outcomes in the United States and England. In the U.S., research published in JAMA indicates that while the virus is curable with an eight-to-twelve-week course of pills, national prescriptions peaked in 2015 and have since declined. Only approximately one in three people with the virus in the U.S. receives treatment within a year of diagnosis. Experts suggest this decline may contribute to stagnant or increasing prevalence, noting that elimination will require system-level changes rather than just improved screening.

Conversely, England is reporting progress toward eliminating Hepatitis C as a public health threat. The NHS has treated over 100,000 people in the last decade, with a sharp fall in cases since 2015 attributed to expanded testing and sustained access to curative treatments. The UK Health Security Agency and the NHS are currently urging high-risk groups, including certain populations from Eastern Europe and individuals who use injectable drugs, to utilize free home-testing kits to prevent new infections.