Healthcare Professionals
The Greater Manchester Hepatitis C Strategy Group was set up in 2005 to develop a collaborative and coordinated approach to improving hepatitis C services across Greater Manchester. The area has among the highest prevalence of hepatitis C infections in England.
The strategy is focused around several key areas: surveillance, prevention, testing, treatment, services for prisoners, communication, research and workforce development.
It is estimated that there are over 15,000 individuals with chronic hepatitis C across the area (representing 0.8% of the overall population), of which a high proportion are known to be undiagnosed. This is mainly accounted for by the large number of injecting drug users in the area and the very high prevalence of hepatitis C infection among this group.
Other ‘high risk’ groups also contribute to this burden including individuals from high prevalence countries such as Pakistan, people who have had medical or dental treatment overseas in countries of high prevalence and where infection control practices are poor, and anyone in the United Kingdom who received a blood transfusion before September 1991 or blood products before 1986.
The Strategy is made up of the following project groups:
- Blood Borne Virus Prevention
- Communication
- Prisons
- Research and Workforce Development
- Testing
- Treatment
- Self Care Support
- Service Redesign
For more information, please contact:
Siobhan Fahey
Prorgramme Manager for the Greater Manchester Hepatitis C Strategy
07794 335982 or 01942 483078
or
Chair of the Strategy
Based at the Greater Manchester Health Protection Unit
0161 786 6710
Click links below to view
