The number of Australians dying of liver failure due to hepatitis C is down 20 percent in two years thanks to more affordable medication added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in 2016.

"This decline reflects the high uptake of direct-acting antiviral therapies among people with hepatitis C, particularly those with more advanced liver disease," said Greg Dore from the Kirby Institute.  "Since 2016, around 60,000 Australians have been treated with the highly curative therapies, and now for the first time, we are seeing fewer people dying of hepatitis C-related causes."

The institute's data also showed a big decrease in hepatitis C infections among people who currently inject drugs, dropping from 43 percent in 2015 to 25 percent in 2017.  The success rate is due to Australia's decision to offer the treatments at low cost - hepatitis C treatments went from $20,000 to $40.  The PBS allows general practitioners to prescribe, and not to penalize patients for injecting drug use.

"Being able to access these treatments through a GP is fantastic because it opens up the ability for people to come forward if they are a bit reticent because of the stigma," said Hepatitis Australia's chief executive officer Helen Tyrrell.

But even among all this progress, there are still 170,000 Australians living with chronic hepatitis C. 

"Australia's done an amazing job over the first two years," said Professor Dore.  "But only 30 percent of people living with hepatitis C in Australia have been treated, so we need to continue to raise awareness about these life-saving treatments," he added.

In addition to intravenous drug users, hepatitis C disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and those incarcerated.

"Some people might be homeless, some might have major mental health issues, some may not be injecting but they're on the margins - so they're not being adequately reached," Dore said, "That's why we need more innovative strategies to reach populations that might be more marginalised."