Hepatitis C
The I’m Worth… campaign is a disease awareness programme that has been developed and paid for by Gilead Sciences Ltd.
An estimated 160,000 people are living with hepatitis C in England. Yet, in 2015, fewer than
12,000 people were diagnosed and fewer than 10,000 people were treated. 1 Infected individuals
can unknowingly transmit the infection, which makes preventing new infections – and
eliminating the virus as a public health threat – a significant challenge.
Survey demonStrateS need for
improvement of hepatitiS C ServiCeS
People who inject drugs are believed to
represent around ninety per cent of total
hepatitis C cases. 2 Over the last three
months the I’m Worth… campaign, in
collaboration with DDN has been surveying
professionals working in substance misuse
services in the UK.* The aim was to help
identify and address the barriers and
educa tional gaps around hepatitis C to
ensure those working in substance misuse
services and campaigns such as I’m Worth…,
can provide meaningful support to those
most at risk.
Throughout the responses, three major
challenges were identified.
1. THERE IS A LACK OF
UNDERSTANDING ABOUT
HEPATITIS C CARE
AMONGST SERVICE USERS
‘I regularly see service users who are
partially or substantially ignorant of issues
around hepatitis C.’
Drug and alcohol support worker
Sixty-six per cent of addiction support
workers state there is not enough
information about hepatitis C diagnosis,
care and services available for people with
substance misuse problems. There is a
lack of understanding of hepatitis C
among service users and not enough
opportunities to educate them about the
disease. This demonstrates the need for
additional education and resources to be
made readily available for people accessing
addiction support.
‘We need loud voices explaining that safe
treatment is now available and they [hepatitis C
sufferers] are entitled to it. Clear, simple
messages of getting everybody treated, and the
possibility that hepatitis C could disappear