In Canada, it is estimated that 250,000 Canadians are living with chronic HCV and thousands of new cases are diagnosed each year. Forty-four per cent of those infected are unaware of their HCV status; symptoms can take two weeks to six months to appear, and most people will not develop symptoms. If left untreated, HCV can progress over time to serious liver damage and is associated with a range of systemic health problems, decreased quality of life, and increased healthcare costs.

In 2016, Canada signed on to the WHO’s global virus hepatitis strategy, committing to the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. Although some progress has been made, major gaps in the cascade of care for HCV remain. According to the recently- released Action Hepatitis Canada’s 2021 Report Card, which measures the provinces’ progress toward elimination of viral hepatitis, only seven out of ten provinces are on track to meet Canada’s viral hepatitis elimination goals. Unfortunately, two of Canada’s largest provinces, Ontario and Quebec along with Manitoba, do not have an HCV elimination plan or strategy in place.

Despite the high risk for, and rates of HCV among, members of priority populations, they are often excluded from mainstream health services. The highest incidence and prevalence of HCV is found among PWID in Canada: two-thirds have evidence of current or past HCV infection, and 85 per cent of new HCV infections occur among PWID.

Gilead Health Sciences and the non-profit Omega Specialty Nurses have walk-in clinics across Canada, including one in Toronto’s gay village on Wellesley/Yonge) that mostly deal with marginalized groups (gays, indigenous, those receiving drug treatment with substance abuse. etc) for everything from PrEP, HIV and Hepatitis (especially C). The pandemic has resulted in disruptions in access to treatment and harm reduction services for Hepatitis C (HCV), other forms of hepatitis, and other transmissible diseases. Gilead has given out hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to health non-profits across Canada who are working with Hepatitis C and marginalized groups. Omega was a winner in Ontario. 

The campaign also includes talking about the Action Hepatitis Canada Progress Report 2021 which all AIDS groups in Canada are apart of among hundreds of other groups dealing with Hep. The report is broken down by province and says Ontario, MB, PQ are behind on their progress to eliminate Hepatitis C (HCV) as per Canada signing on to the WHO’s global virus hepatitis strategy, committing to the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

Hepatitis Can’t Wait

This summer The United Nation’s World Health Organization (WHO) and hundreds of health non-profits across Canada will be promoting Hepatitis Can’t Wait. The aim is to raise urgent global attention that – with a person dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis related illness – the world can’t wait for the pandemic to end to act on viral hepatitis.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by a viral infection. There are five main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. These five types are of greatest concern because of the burden of illness and death they cause and the potential for outbreaks and epidemic spread. The COVID pandemic has resulted in disruptions in access to treatment and harm reduction services and set back efforts to eliminate hepatitis.

Five years ago, Canada signed on to the WHO’s global virus hepatitis strategy, committing to the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. Action Hepatitis Canada’s 2021 Report Card measures the provinces progress toward elimination of viral hepatitis. Today, only 7 out of 10 provinces are on track to meet Canada’s viral hepatitis elimination goals as Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba are significantly behind.

Chronic hepatitis B and C are life-threatening infectious diseases that cause serious liver damage, cancer, and premature death. More than 300 million people are living with the hepatitis B virus or the hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis B and C are silent epidemics, hitting children and marginalized populations the hardest which include people who inject drugs, Indigenous Peoples, prisoners, men who have sex with men, migrants and people living with HIV/AIDs. Hepatitis C is spread through blood-to-blood contact.

But we do have the power to eliminate hepatitis as there are vaccines and treatment.

At A Glance:

· In Canada, it is estimated that 250,000 Canadians are living with chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) alone, and thousands of new cases are diagnosed each year.,

· Forty-four per cent of those infected are unaware of their HCV status; symptoms can take two weeks to six months to appear, and most people will not develop symptoms.

· If left untreated, HCV can progress over time to serious liver damage and is associated with a range of systemic health problems, decreased quality of life, and increased healthcare costs.

· Hepatitis B and C kill more people annually than HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB

· Hepatitis B and C are responsible for 2 out 3 liver cancer deaths

· Eliminating hepatitis B and hepatitis C as public health threats by 2030 would present approximately 36 million infections and save 10 million lives.

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About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist based in Toronto with a focus on tourism, lifestyle, entertainment and community issues. He has written several travel articles and has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He’s willing to take on any assignments of interest, attend parties with free booze, listen to rants, and travel the world in search of the great unknown. He’s eager to discover the new, remember the past, and look into the future.