10:43am Monday 4th January 2010
A SCHEME tackling a serious blood disease has won praise from health experts.
work in Bolton, and Greater Manchester to combat hepatitis C has been highlighted by the Health Protection Agency.
The association of Greater Manchester PCTS has funded a strategy to tackle the infection and the work includes a campaign called What Did You Do Back In The Day? Run in partnership with Rock Radio, it encourages people to think if they have put themselves at risk and get checked out.
There was a 200 per cent increase in the number of online and telephone enquiries about being tested. Drug workers in Bolton and across Greater Manchester have also been trained to use a finger prick test to identify hepatitis C sufferers and between April and December 2009, 140 tests were carried out in the town.
The HPA national report, Hepatitis C in the UK: 2009 Report, highlights the Greater Manchester scheme and says: “Governments, the NHS and the voluntary sector have all developed initiatives. It is hoped these will help reduce the levels of undiagnosed infection, and help individuals access treatment and care.”
The campaign will continue, targeting GP practices to help highlight the infection, with a event planned for the county in February.
There will also be a Back in The Day event in May and a day for drug workers in Bolton will be held later in the year.
Latest figures from the HPA show there are 1,679 reported new cases of hepatitis C in the North West — higher than anywhere else in the UK and infection rates continue to rise.
There are around 1,500 people affected in Bolton, with 20,000 across the county and around 185,000 in the UK. Hepatitis C is a viral infection which causes swelling or inflammation of the liver.
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