England set to be one of the first countries to eliminate hepatitis C
England set to be one of the first countries to eliminate hepatitis C
英国有望成为首批消除丙型肝炎的国家之一
England is on track to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, a dangerous virus that attacks the liver, figures show. 数据显示，英国有望成为世界上首批消除丙型肝炎的国家之一。丙型肝炎是一种攻击肝脏的危险病毒。
The target of treating 80% of all known cases has already been met, and deaths from the virus have fallen by 36% in the last decade, just short of what is needed by 2030. 治疗 80% 已知病例的目标已经实现，过去十年中，该病毒导致的死亡人数下降了 36%，距离 2030 年的目标仅一步之遥。
Taking antiviral tablets for 8 to 12 weeks can cure more than 95% of cases. 服用抗病毒药物 8 到 12 周可以治愈超过 95% 的病例。
Initiatives including A&E blood tests, GP registration testing and free at-home tests have helped to find people who were previously undiagnosed, says NHS England. 英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS England）表示，包括急诊室血液检测、全科医生（GP）注册检测以及免费居家检测在内的多项举措，已经帮助发现了此前未被诊断出的患者。
Silent disease
“沉默的疾病”
Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood infected with the virus, such as by sharing needles with someone who has it. Donor blood is already screened for it. It is a silent disease, meaning people often have no symptoms until much later. 丙型肝炎通过接触受病毒感染的血液传播，例如与感染者共用针头。捐献的血液已经过筛查。这是一种“沉默的疾病”，意味着患者通常在很长一段时间内都不会出现症状。
Untreated, it can cause serious and potentially life-threatening liver damage. 如果不加治疗，它会导致严重且可能危及生命的肝损伤。
NHS England says that since 2015, more than 100,000 people have been diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C, meaning the country is already meeting that target. NHS England 表示，自 2015 年以来，已有超过 10 万人被诊断并接受了丙型肝炎治疗，这意味着英国已经达到了相关目标。
Another goal - a 65% reduction in hepatitis C-related mortality compared with 2015 levels - has yet to be met, but might be before the 2030 target date. 另一个目标——将丙型肝炎相关的死亡率较 2015 年水平降低 65%——尚未实现，但有望在 2030 年目标日期之前达成。
Around 50,200 adults are living with hepatitis C, figures for England in 2024 suggest. Estimates indicate 84.6% of those living with hepatitis C have been diagnosed - just short of the 90% target. 2024 年英国的数据显示，约有 50,200 名成年人患有丙型肝炎。据估计，其中 84.6% 的患者已得到诊断，距离 90% 的目标仅差一点。
The Hepatitis C Trust says England is “on the cusp” of one of the most significant public health achievements in our country’s history. 丙型肝炎信托基金（The Hepatitis C Trust）表示，英国正处于该国历史上最重要的公共卫生成就之一的“临界点”。
Prof Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, added: “England is now leading the world in the mission to eliminate this disease and on course to beat the WHO’s 2030 target, but we are determined to keep up the momentum and finish the job.” NHS 国家医疗主任 Frankie Swords 教授补充道：“英国目前在消除这种疾病的使命中处于世界领先地位，并有望提前实现世界卫生组织（WHO）设定的 2030 年目标，但我们决心保持这一势头，彻底完成这项工作。”
“We are committed to finding and treating everyone who needs support and would urge those at greater risk to come forward by ordering a free and confidential home-testing kit online.” “我们致力于寻找并治疗每一位需要支持的患者，并敦促高风险人群通过在线订购免费且保密的居家检测试剂盒来主动进行检测。”
Adults born in Ukraine, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia or Slovakia are particularly urged to test, as some may have been infected through medical or dental procedures before 1991. 特别敦促在乌克兰、罗马尼亚、爱沙尼亚、拉脱维亚、波兰、阿尔巴尼亚、立陶宛、保加利亚、捷克或斯洛伐克出生的成年人进行检测，因为其中一些人可能在 1991 年之前通过医疗或牙科手术感染。
People can order a free, confidential NHS home self-testing kit without needing to speak to a GP. 人们无需咨询全科医生，即可订购免费、保密的 NHS 居家自检试剂盒。
Paul Eatwell, 65, was diagnosed after a routine blood test. The grandfather from Blackburn, Lancashire, said: “My first reaction was disbelief. I remember saying: ‘Are you sure? Surely there’s been some mistake.’” 65 岁的 Paul Eatwell 在一次常规血液检查后被确诊。这位来自兰开夏郡布莱克本的祖父说：“我的第一反应是不敢相信。我记得当时说：‘你确定吗？肯定搞错了。’”
“I didn’t feel ill. I kept wondering how I could possibly have caught it.” He says the medical support he received made a huge difference. “我并没有感到不舒服。我一直在想我到底是怎么感染的。”他说，他所获得的医疗支持起到了巨大的作用。
While it has not been established how Eatwell caught the virus, it has been suggested that surgery in South Africa decades ago may have been the cause. 虽然目前尚不清楚 Eatwell 是如何感染该病毒的，但有人认为几十年前在南非进行的手术可能是原因。
Infected blood scandal
输血感染丑闻
From 1970 to 1991, more than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C from contaminated blood products and fusions. 1970 年至 1991 年间，英国有超过 3 万人因受污染的血液制品和输血而感染了艾滋病毒（HIV）和丙型肝炎。
The infected blood scandal is known as the biggest treatment disaster in the NHS. About 3,000 have since died and more deaths will follow. 这起输血感染丑闻被认为是 NHS 历史上最大的医疗灾难。此后约有 3,000 人死亡，且死亡人数预计还会增加。
A public inquiry found authorities covered up the scandal and exposed victims to unacceptable risks. 一项公开调查发现，当局掩盖了这起丑闻，并使受害者面临不可接受的风险。