Scottish Health Board Claims It Has “Effectively Eliminated” Hepatitis C

A Scottish health boars is claiming it is the first region in the world to have effectively eliminated hepatitis C. Back in 2012, NHS Tayside developed a pioneering approach to treating the blood borne virus, which targeted injecting drug users since, as the health board stated, 90% of infections occur through sharing needles.

In 2019, NHS Tayside unveiled plans to eliminate hepatitis C by 2024, although they reached their target four years ahead of schedule.

The NHS Tayside project, in collaboration with the University of Dundee, focuses on people who inject drugs without waiting until they go on to recovery programmes or stop using.

This prevents them from passing the virus on to others, helping limit the spread.

Lorna Birse-Stewart, chairwoman of Tayside NHS Board, said it was “the first region in the world to effectively eliminate the virus”.

She added: "It is testament to the work of the teams involved and, as a board, we are very proud of them.”

Consultant hepatologist and gastroenterologist Prof John Dillon said the disease consumes a significant amount of NHS resources.

Prof Dillon added: "However, our view was that with the right approach, supported with appropriate resources, we could tackle what is a very significant problem and reduce the rates of hepatitis C infection.

"If you can offer treatment at a very early stage, while people who are infected are still actively injecting, when they have contact with other people who inject and share equipment with other people, their chances of transmission disappear because they're not infected any more.”

He said from a single project in a Dundee needle exchange it expanded to multiple research projects and, eventually, led to a “brave” overhaul of services.

As ‘BBC’ reports, testing and a treatment involving taking a combination of drugs daily for eight weeks is now offered in nurse-led community clinics, as well as in more than 60 community pharmacies, prisons and drug treatment services across Tayside.

Scotland's Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “NHS Tayside should be congratulated and recognised for this achievement.

“The Scottish government remains committed to the elimination of hepatitis C in Scotland by 2024, and we will now work closely with NHS Tayside to understand how their achievement can be replicated in other regions across Scotland.”

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