Orange C and white NSW text on purple background

Hepatitis C Elimination in NSW: Monitoring and Evaluation Report, 2024

This report evaluates progress towards hepatitis C elimination in NSW, aligning with state, national, and global elimination strategies. It assesses trends in testing, treatment, and prevention measures, as well as hepatitis C incidence, morbidity, and mortality. Each objective has a series of measurable indicators for monitoring progress, including a set of specific targets that evaluate service coverage and impact. The aim of this report is to describe hepatitis C elimination targets, objectives, and indicators, and the level of progress made in NSW.

Key findings

The initial eight years of the direct-acting antiviral (DAA) era in NSW have shown considerable progress towards hepatitis C elimination goals, particularly in reducing incident infections and hepatitis C-related mortality.
High uptake of curative DAA therapy has not led to increased risk behaviours, with needle and syringe program coverage and testing levels remaining high among people who inject drugs.
Stable risk behaviour combined with high DAA therapy uptake has produced marked declines and hepatitis C prevalence and incidence of new hepatitis C infections.
The burden of advanced liver disease, which was escalating before the introduction of new therapies, is now declining.
Treatment uptake has been remarkably equitable, with indications of higher uptake among higher-risk and marginalised populations.
Despite overall progress, there are still gaps in service delivery with evidence of lower screening and diagnosis of hepatitis C in rural areas.
Ongoing efforts are needed to address persistent stigma and discrimination, enhance prevention strategies, and maintain high levels of testing and treatment to achieve elimination goals.
The framework for ongoing evaluation has been established, providing a foundation for monitoring progress and guiding future efforts towards hepatitis C elimination in NSW.