Girona Shows Higher Hepatitis C Prevalence in Screened Population
The Girona Health Region has recorded a higher rate of active hepatitis C infection among people tested than the Catalan average, according to an updated situational report. Between 2016 and 2024, primary care teams at the Institut Català de la Salut (ICS) screened 155,422 people in Girona and identified 1,502 with active infection, representing a prevalence of 0.97%, above the 0.89% seen across Catalonia. These figures come from the Primary Care Information System (SISAP) and refer specifically to the population registered with and served by ICS primary care services, not all residents in the region. Over the period, 1,065,837 people were assigned to these services in Girona, meaning 14.6% were screened, below the 19% coverage achieved in Catalonia overall.
Screening Gaps and Infection Risks
Girona’s screening coverage has historically lagged behind the regional average, though the gap has narrowed in recent years. Annual screening rates in Girona rose from 2.5% in 2016 to 4% in 2024, nearly matching Catalonia’s 4.1%. There was a dip during the pandemic, with coverage falling to 2.2% in 2020, but it rebounded to 2.7% in 2022, 3.8% in 2023, and 4% in 2024.
The report identifies diagnosis as a key bottleneck in eliminating the disease, as many cases go undetected due to lack of symptoms.
Hepatitis C often presents no symptoms for years, and if left untreated, can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer. Unlike hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccine, but modern antiviral treatments cure most cases within 8 to 12 weeks and have few side effects. According to Canal Salut, chronic hepatitis C is frequently asymptomatic or causes only non-specific symptoms, which means many infected individuals remain unaware.
Targeted Efforts to Reach Vulnerable Groups
Catalonia’s health strategy is now focusing on populations outside regular healthcare circuits, including people who use drugs, those experiencing homelessness, and individuals from countries with high hepatitis C prevalence. Since 2021, a mobile screening unit run by the Department of Health and the Red Cross has offered tests for hepatitis B and C, HIV, and syphilis to those with limited access to care.
Between 2021 and 2024, the mobile unit tested 1,410 people who use drugs, finding 8% with active hepatitis C infection. From 2022, 611 homeless individuals were screened, with a 1% prevalence of hepatitis C and 2% for hepatitis B.
According to a press release from the Department of Health, the REDAN study conducted in 2024–2025 found that 18.3% of people who inject drugs had active hepatitis C infection, down from around 60% in 2017–2018. Exposure to the virus in this group has also dropped, from 74% in 2019 to 57% in the latest survey. Meanwhile, the estimated prevalence of active hepatitis C across Catalonia’s entire population is 0.49%, though this figure is not directly comparable to Girona’s 0.97%, which applies only to those screened. The World Health Organization aims to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030. In Girona, the combination of lower cumulative screening and higher detection rates among tested individuals suggests undiagnosed cases remain, and expanding screening could yield significant returns. The Department of Health notes that over 31,000 people in Catalonia have been treated for hepatitis C since 2015, when direct-acting antivirals became widely available. In prisons, the prevalence of active infection has dropped from 10.1% in 2016 to 0.4% in 2024, with 55 people treated in 2024 alone, indicating success in targeted elimination efforts.
Primary sources: govern.cat, ics.gencat.cat, GEICS Infermera Clínica en Cronicitat Complexa, canalsalut.gencat.cat, CRISTINA MATEO AMAT. Reported by diarideladiscapacitat.cat, ias.cat, Gaceta Médica, diaridegirona.cat, social.cat, segre.com, CatalunyaPress.es, elpais.com, Diari de Girona.
