New Canadian hepatitis C estimates tell us how far we’ve come (and how far we have to go)

 July 4, 2023 •  By Melisa Dickie and Shannon Elliot

Canada has joined countries around the world in committing to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030. However, how do we know if we’re on track to reach that goal and how do we measure our progress along the way?   Fortunately, the World Health Organization established targets in its Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis, which have been adapted to the Canadian context by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). These targets lay out a path to elimination with concrete objectives, that include a 90% reduction in new hepatitis C infections by 2030, as...

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Trauma-informed HIV testing: creating safe environments for LGBTQ2S+ people

 June 26, 2023 •  By Dan Udy

LGBTQ2S+ people across Canada can face many barriers to healthcare, including possible trauma related to sexual and gender identities. Structural factors like homophobia and transphobia mean that these communities face many social issues such as higher rates of unemployment, lower incomes, and lower access to housing. For BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) LGBTQ2S+ people, racism can compound these issues. Such challenges make it harder to access services like primary healthcare or mental healthcare. As a result, HIV testing appointments might be the only chance for help with mental health, drug use, housing or intimate partner violence. Someone in...

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Building Indigenous harm reduction responses

 June 12, 2023 •  By Denise Baldwin

How did you get involved in harm reduction? I first got involved in harm reduction when I was living on a reserve on Manitoulin Island and working at a youth centre there doing a lot of health promotion type work. I remember discussing HIV, hepatitis C and safer substance use with the youth – letting them know about not sharing straws to snort and things like that. But my experience in Toronto working with Oahas was what most informed my current work. My mentor in harm reduction work was LaVerne Monette, who was a Two-Spirit leader and activist who worked...

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Progress toward viral hepatitis elimination in Canada: Holding governments accountable

 May 11, 2023 •  By Jennifer van Gennip

On May 11, 2023, Action Hepatitis Canada (AHC) released its Progress Toward Viral Hepatitis Elimination in Canada 2023 Report. This is an update on the 2021 report and provides an analysis of each province and territory’s progress toward eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, a goal set by the World Health Organization (WHO). With a cure for hepatitis C and a vaccine for hepatitis B, this is an ambitious yet realistic goal. Two years after the initial report, we wanted to see what progress had been made in adopting person-centred policies through a health equity lens,...

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What needs to happen to eliminate hepatitis B in Canada

 May 9, 2023 •  By Fozia Tanveer

When you think of hepatitis B, what comes to mind? An infection you can acquire while travelling? A virus that can be passed through sex or sharing needles? An infection that is mostly preventable with a two-dose vaccine? While all of these are true, the epidemiological realities of hepatitis B in Canada are changing. More and more Canadians with hepatitis B are immigrants and newcomers from countries where hepatitis B is endemic, and where transmission mostly occurs during pregnancy and childbirth. A recent study from the University of Waterloo suggests that under current strategies for diagnosis, vaccination and treatment, Canada...

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Stigma and hepatitis C

 May 4, 2023 •  By Daphne Rose

Hepatitis C is often impacted by significant social stigma, affecting marginalized groups including people with lived experience of drug use and imprisonment, as well as Indigenous communities. Stigma arises when negative attitudes, beliefs and stereotypes are held by individuals or society towards a particular group. This leads to discrimination, marginalization, as well as negative social and health outcomes for stigmatized groups or individuals. People who use drugs and hepatitis C People who use drugs, particularly through injection, are at a higher risk of contracting hepatitis C through sharing needles and other drug use equipment. However, the stigma associated with drug...

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