Public Health Wales (PHW) is committed to supporting the national Blood-Borne Virus (BBV) screening services, including for HIV, Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), and syphilis. collection and analysis of samples across our screening programs.
The timely and efficient processing of these samples is critical to achieving the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ambitious elimination targets for HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis. As part of this, Welsh Government produced a circular mandating that Welsh Prisons achieve and maintain elimination of Hepatitis C amongst the prison population. Public Health Wales have been supporting this effort and have begun to introduce this test as part of the general community Point of Care testing pathway.
Use of an oral swab as opposed to a needle or finger price test supports wider usage in community testing by providing equitable access for:
• Individuals with needle phobia who may refuse any alternative means of testing
• Patients with poor venous access, who may otherwise refuse blood-based testing.
• Hard-to-reach populations, where venepuncture or finger-prick testing is a barrier.
• Non-phlebotomist testers.