hepatitis c: the silent public health threat in canada
misinformation and stigmas associated with a diagnosis present a tremendous challenge to populations with the highest risk of contracting hepatitis c
3 minute read
this story is sponsored by
a canadian research-based pharmaceutical company and imc member
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hepatitis c virus (hcv), is one of the five strains of viral hepatitis that impacts the liver, leading to liver scarring or cancer if left untreated. people living with hcv are often unaware of their status, as it typically presents without symptoms for up to 20 to 30 years after originally contracting the virus.
the stigma associated with hcv diagnosis presents a major barrier to testing, diagnosis, treatment, and overall quality of life. as hcv is transmitted via contact with contaminated blood, a diagnosis is often associated with intravenous drug use or high-risk sexual practices. blood-to-blood contact, misinformation about the virus and moral stigmas associated with blood-borne illnesses have shown to perpetuate a notion that people living with hcv have “brought” the disease upon themselves.
testing is the only way to confirm if you have hcv, and it often takes up to two blood tests to confirm a diagnosis. while there is currently no vaccine to prevent hcv, there are treatment options to help clear the virus.
impact in canada
in canada, almost 250,000 people live with chronic hcv, and it’s estimated that 40 per cent of those impacted are unaware of their positive status.
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the progress toward viral hepatitis elimination in canada 2021 report prepared by action hepatitis canada outlines the following hcv priority populations:
- people who inject drugs account for 85 per cent of all new hcv infections in canada, demonstrating a clear need for community-based harm reduction initiatives.
- older adults born between 1945-1975 account for up to 75 per cent of those living with hcv in canada.
- immigrants and newcomers coming to canada account for up to 35 per cent of those living with hcv in canada.
- indigenous peoples in canada experience rates of hcv five times higher than the general population.
communicating the impacts of hcv and the importance of testing these populations is critical to supporting canada’s efforts to meet the targets outlined in the global viral hepatitis strategy, presented by the world health organization (who). it is crucial that all canadians have access to resources that will help them stay informed about prevention, testing, diagnosis, and treatment. for newcomer populations, providing culturally safe and responsible testing and education upon arrival is important to ensure their long-term health and well-being.
organizations across canada are already engaging in the important work needed to eliminate hcv as a public health threat. for newcomers and immigrant populations, catie, canada’s source for hiv and hepatitis c information, has developed a database of hcv resources in 13 different languages, including arabic, simplified chinese, hindi, urdu, tagalog, vietnamese, spanish, thai, bengali, tamil, and punjabi, in addition to english and french.
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“misinformation and stigmas associated with a diagnosis, coupled with the barriers faced by immigrants and newcomers in accessing health care, present a tremendous challenge to populations with the highest risk of contracting hcv,” says fozia tanveer, manager of the immigrant and newcomer hepatitis c program. “the world health organization has set an ambitious goal of eliminating hcv by 2030, so if we want to meet that goal, we need to continue to provide hcv information and resources in an accessible way to inform canadians about prevention, testing and treatment. the time is now.”
working together to eliminate hcv
at the 2016 world health assembly, who introduced the first-ever global viral hepatitis strategy. signed by 194 member states, the strategy aims to eliminate all five strains of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. each member state has been tasked with developing and integrating a national action plan to meet the targets outlined within the strategy. in 2018, the public health agency of canada published the pan-canadian framework for action to reduce the health impact of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, and a five-year action plan in 2019.
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the need to effectively implement this strategy and reach the outlined targets to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat is of critical importance to public health efforts around the world. according to the who, 150 million people around the world live with hepatitis c (hcv) and 500,000 people die each year from hcv-related liver failure.
to find hcv services and resources near you, visit:
this story was provided by a canadian research-based pharmaceutical company and imc member.
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