In 2006 there were 8,346 new hepatitis C diagnoses in England reported to the Health Protection Agency’s Centre for Infections.
Professor Peter Borriello, Director of the Health Protection Agency’s Centre for Infections, said: “Initiatives like World Hepatitis Day can only help to improve public awareness of hepatitis. It is important that people know what the risks are and how they can protect themselves.
“This increased focus represents a marked change to the position we were in just a decade ago when we were seeing half the number of people diagnosed that we see today. Increased testing and diagnosis of infection will enable more people to gain access to appropriate treatment and help reduce some of the severe complications of hepatitis that can occur, such as the rare cases of liver cancer.
”We strongly encourage any efforts made to heighten awareness of this infection, so that more people get tested and vaccination uptake improves in order to reduce the number of people living unknowingly with this potentially lethal infection.”
Background
To support the hepatitis C Trust’s “Am I number 12?” campaign on World Hepatitis Day, the Agency will be processing the tests of 12 Members of Parliament for hepatitis (results will not be available and will remain strictly confidential).
For any further information please call the Health Protection Agency’s Centre for Infections press office on 020 8327 6690/ 6647/ 7097
George Fletcher
Press Office
Centre for Infections
Health Protection Agency
020 8327 6690
Georgina.fletcher@hpa.org.uk
