New cases of hepatitis C amongst HIV men in London have fallen by nearly 70%. Analysis of data from three clinics in London found 256 men diagnosed in 2013-2018.

New infections peaked at 17 for every 1,000 people studied in 2015 and fell to six by 2018.

Patients were monitored and screened every six months by Imperial College Academic Health, UK. Following regular screening and treatment, cases of newly acquired acute hepatitis C had fallen sharply; and in 2018 were the lowest recorded in London since 2008 for HIV positive men.

“Our study has shown that greater access to new treatments, closer monitoring and screening can greatly reduce hepatitis C cases, which will lead to better outcomes for the most at risk patients,” Consultant in HIV/GU Medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and study lead author Dr Lucy Garvey said.

The results were presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, a major HIV conference held in Seattle, US.