Mobile clinics aim to tackle 'stigma' around hepatitis C testing in East of England
It's part of a drive to eliminate the virus by next year
A service which helps deliver testing for hepatitis C believes there's a stigma in people getting tested for the virus in and around Cambridgeshire.
Mobile clinics are being set up across the East of England to help eliminate the virus - spread through blood to blood contact - by next year.
The NHS is trying to encourage more people to use the clinics as part of World Hepatitis Day today, as well as helping eliminate the virus nationally before the global goal of 2030.
The clinics are being delivered by the Eastern Region Hepatitis C Operational Delivery Network (HCV ODN), which provides testing, treatment and support to people with HCV across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Bedfordshire.
Wendy Smeeton is a co-ordinator at the HCV ODN:
"We want to raise the profile so people will consider coming forward to have a test to reduce the stigma that's associated with having blood-borne virus testing," she said.
"We want people to have the opportunity to be cured of his and prevent the further spread of the infection.
"People shouldn't be frightened to come forward for tests or frightened the test result might be positive because if it is, the treatment is easily available, it's free and more than 96 per cent of people are cured following a course of treatment."
What is World Hepatitis Day?
The event, marked every year, aims to provide a platform for education and engaging with the likes of governments and health professionals to raise awareness and action being taken to eliminate hepatitis.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the day aims to "encourage stronger commitment at local, national and international levels to combat the growing threat of the disease".
WHO said around 304 million people worldwide live with hepatitis B or C.
"Nationally, we have tested and treated lots of people, so the numbers are coming down; we used to have campaigns talking about finding the missing millions, but actually we've treated so many people now, we're looking for the missing thousands," Wendy added.