Epidemiology of hepatitis C in Ireland
Hepatitis C in Ireland latest trend data published
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has published the Epidemiology of Hepatitis C in Ireland.
Hepatitis C is a curable viral infection that is mainly acquired by contact through broken skin with infectious blood. The main route of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission for cases notified in Ireland currently is via injecting drug use due to sharing contaminated needles.
See HSE website for full list of risk factors for hepatitis C.
- HCV rates have been decreasing since the peak of cases in 2007.
- In 2023, the hepatitis C notification rate was 10.4 per 100,000 (n=538), a 12% increase since 2022.
- Most cases in Ireland are occurring in people who inject drugs, with smaller proportions occurring following sexual exposure. Many cases were born outside Ireland in countries where hepatitis C is more common.
- Rates in males are more than double those in females
- The highest notification rates are in those aged 35 to 54 years of age. Trends in the age groups affected have been stable in recent years.
- Rates were higher in the Dublin and Northeast, Dublin and Midlands and Mid-West health regions, in 2023, than elsewhere in the country
Public health implications and actions
- Harm reduction interventions, such as needle and syringe exchange programmes for people who inject drugs, and opiate agonist treatment (OAT), remain essential to reduce the likelihood of infection.
- Hepatitis C is now a curable disease. The HSE aims to detect, treat and cure all cases in Ireland, preventing further spread and reducing case numbers over time.
- Highly effective directly acting antiviral treatments that eradicate the virus in more than 95% of cases, are available free of charge
- Everyone at higher risk of infection is invited and encouraged to take up the offer of free testing available:
- In drug addiction treatment and prison settings
- In sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics
- In services for migrants (International Protection Applicants (IPA)/Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTP)
- By ordering a free online home test if aged 18 years and older
Resources
Free hepatitis C home testing is available from the HSE: Order a hepatitis C test
- HSE Social inclusion: The National Social Inclusion office supports equal access to Health Services for people from vulnerable groups.https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/primarycare/socialinclusion/
- HSE Addiction services: information on where to access addiction support
- https://drugs.ie/ advice on preventing communicable diseases, free screening and vaccination for hepatitis A and B
- Bloodborne virus screening, including hepatitis C, is available in a range of addiction treatment settings
- HSE Intercultural health Overview of programmes
- Health services include voluntary communicable disease screening for international protection applicants and beneficiaries of temporary protection
- Safetynet primary care https://www.primarycaresafetynet.ie/ provides medical services, including infectious disease testing to those without access to healthcare, including homeless people, drug users and migrants
HSE sexual health and wellbeing: free supports for preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Information on how to prevent STIs can be found at sexualwellbeing.ie. This includes advice on condom use, testing and vaccinations
- Information on how to access free condoms is available at sexualwellbeing.ie
- Public STI clinics: STI testing, including hepatitis C for gbMSM and those with other risk factors, in public sexual health or GUM clinics is provided free of charge. A list of public STI clinics is available at sexualwellbeing.ie.
- Resources for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) are available at www.man2man.ie
Last updated: 22 July 2024