DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service. 26 January 2008
New survey finds a
third of people don't know the risks
Around a third of people don't know how hepatitis C can be
passed from person to person, according to new research
commissioned by the Department of Health published today.
The findings come as a major hepatitis C awareness campaign is
launched to reach out to the estimated 100,000 people in England
who are unaware they have the infection and stop others getting it.
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that can cause chronic
infection and lead to serious liver damage and even premature death.
The ICM poll reveals that:
- nearly one in four people
don't know that hepatitis C can be passed on by sharing
needles when injecting drugs;
- around 4 in 10 people
don't know that they can catch hepatitis C by using unsterile
equipment when getting a tattoo, piercing or acupuncture;
-
one in eight think that hepatitis C can be passed on by
kissing;
- about one in six think consuming contaminated food
or water can transmit the virus; and
- a third of respondents
mistakenly believe that there is a vaccine to protect against
infection with hepatitis C.
Radio and press advertising will remind the public of life
experiences that could have exposed them to infection such as
injecting drugs or getting tattoos where equipment may not have
been sterile. The campaign coincides with the 20th anniversary of
the virus being identified.
Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson said:
"Around
100,000 people in England are estimated to be unaware that they
have hepatitis C. It can take years or even decades for symptoms
to appear, if at all, and if left untreated can lead to liver
damage and premature death.
"Fortunately, effective treatment is available, so it's
vital that people who may have been at risk of infection seek
medical advice and get tested."
Charles Gore, Chief Executive of the Hepatitis C Trust
said:
"Twenty years down the line, it's worrying to
see the public still believe so many myths around hepatitis C.
Education is absolutely essential to eradicating this problem. We
are pleased to see the Department of Health campaigning on this
issue, but it's now time for both the public and health
professionals to take action. We'd urge anyone who feels they
might be at risk to get tested, and health professionals to be
vigilant to diagnosing patients."
-Ends-
For more information please contact Caroline Bird or
Claudia Mosehli on
020 7815 3967 or email
caroline.bird@munroforster.com / Claudia.mosehli@munroforster.com
Notes to Editors:
- ICM Research interviewed 1,457 adults
online from 9th - 11th January 2009
- The Department of
Health's hepatitis C awareness campaign supports the
Hepatitis C Action Plan for England, which seeks to improve the
prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C. The Action
Plan is available on the DH website at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/publications
and http://www.dh.gov.uk/cmo
- For more information about Department of Health policy on
hepatitis C please contact the Media Centre on 020 7210 5221
* Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that can cause chronic
infection and lead to serious liver damage (cirrhosis and primary
liver cancer). It is recognised as a significant public health
problem worldwide. In England it is estimated that there are
approximately 200,000 people chronically infected and that the
majority of these are probably unaware of their infection. There
is currently no vaccine against hepatitis C so prevention of new
infections is particularly important
* There is effective antiviral drug treatment for hepatitis C
that has been approved by the National Institute for Clinical
Excellence (NICE)
* Examples of people's life experiences with hepatitis C
will be profiled in a number of short film clips for the public
about the issues surrounding hepatitis C. These will be available
on the NHS Choices website (http://www.nhs.uk/hepc)
* For further information please go to http://www.nhs.uk/hepc or for
confidential information and advice, call the Hepatitis C
Information Line on 0800 181 4114 (textphone 0800 0850859). The
Information line is open from 7am-11pm, 7 days a week. To speak to
someone who has been through the treatment, or who is living with
the virus and for support to all those affected by hepatitis C,
directly or indirectly, please phone the Hepatitis C Trust
helpline on 0845 223 4424.
* An online test is also available to members of the public who
think they may have come in contact with the virus, which assesses
their risk level and provides further information about the virus.
Visit http://www.nhs.uk/hepc
to find out more.