A hepatitis C screening pilot in Hong Kong found that the virus’s prevalence among people in custody was 4.1 per cent, compared with 0.3 per cent among the general population. The finding points to a substantially higher level of infection in prisons and the potential importance of targeted health services there.
The University of Hong Kong’s medical faculty and the Correctional Services Department began the voluntary pilot in 2023 for eligible people in custody. It uses a targeted-group elimination approach and combines screening with treatment.
More than 500 people had undergone screening by August 27, 2026, according to i-CABLE. The reports supplied do not give a complete breakdown of the total number of participants, positive cases or treatments.
The programme provides rapid hepatitis C tests, health education and counselling. The Correctional Services Department said people whose rapid tests were positive and who were subsequently confirmed to have the infection could receive doctor-prescribed direct-acting antiviral medicines in prison, without being escorted to an outside hospital for examination and treatment.
Ming Pao reported that the research team used data from the pilot to model hepatitis C outcomes for 10,000 people in custody. It analysed the cost-effectiveness of screening and treatment strategies using decision-tree and Markov models.
The study found high cost and health benefits for screening people during their custody, screening new admissions, and carrying out one-off universal screening. The researchers said eliminating hepatitis C among a targeted group in prisons was feasible with the team’s support.
Hepatitis C infection can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and death, according to the reports. They also said that by 2024 only 36 per cent of infected people had been diagnosed, while 20 per cent of those diagnosed had received curative treatment.
Ming Pao reported that referrals to care and viral eradication each achieved a 100 per cent success rate with support from the research team. The supplied material does not state how many cases were included or how success was defined.
The research team suggested that remote video consultations could be used instead of face-to-face appointments or hospital consultations to improve access to specialist care for people in custody. It remains unclear whether the pilot will be extended to other correctional facilities or become routine screening.