Tag: Hepatitis C | CATIE Blog

What does it take to eliminate hepatitis C in a city like Montreal?

May 25, 2026 • By James O’Grady and Isabelle Robichaud

What would it take for Montreal to eliminate hepatitis C? The short answer: sustained, collective effort. The reality is that hepatitis C is both preventable and curable, but it continues to affect communities across Montreal. These communities are often those facing the greatest barriers to care. While hepatitis C treatment can be simple, eliminating the virus at a population level is a challenge. It tests how effective health systems can work across sectors and reach those often left behind by traditional systems of care. The Métropoles sans Hépatite C (MSHC) project was created with an ambitious goal: to make Montreal the first city in North...

Scaling back harm reduction will scale up blood-borne infections

May 25, 2026 • By Rivka Kushner

Following nearly a decade of leadership in responding to the toxic drug crisis, harm reduction programs in some parts of Canada are now being scaled back. In some communities, programs like supervised consumption services and safer drug use equipment distribution are being defunded, restricted or forced to close. This is despite strong evidence that supervised consumption services prevent overdose deaths, increase safer substance use practices, increase access to healthcare including treatment and mental health services and reduce public drug use. Safer drug use distribution programs, often referred to as needle and syringe programs, prevent viral infections like hepatitis C and...

Unlocking the Gates: From corrections to community

April 28, 2025 • By Mo Korchinski

People with prison experience are disproportionately affected by hepatitis C. Criminalizing drug use leads more people who use drugs to end up in prison settings, where a lack of access to sterile needles, syringes and tattoo equipment increases the risk of hepatitis C transmission. Barriers to care in prisons—and the many challenges people face after release—often lead people to go undiagnosed and untreated. Unlocking the Gates is a peer-led organization in British Columbia that supports individuals being released from corrections through a variety of services, including pre-release planning and transition support, probation/bail resolution and warrant support. To better understand what’s...

Routine practice, big impact

April 28, 2025 • By Fozia Tanveer

What if a simple change in routine could save lives? For many immigrants to Canada, access to timely healthcare isn’t just a matter of convenience – it’s a matter of survival. Some immigrants are up to four times more likely to have hepatitis C than the Canadian average, and up to six times more likely to have hepatitis B. But because their risk factors are usually different from those born in Canada, they are often overlooked in Canadian screening programs. Enter CATIE’s Routine Practice campaign, designed to change the way Canadian healthcare providers approach viral hepatitis screening. By blending data-driven...

The impact of hepatitis C on women: Learnings from the CanHepC 2025 Symposium

April 28, 2025 • By Madison Kennedy

In February, CATIE attended the 14th Canadian Symposium on Hepatitis C, which was hosted by the Canadian Network for Hepatitis C (CanHepC) as part of the Canadian Liver Meeting. This national conference brought experts from across the country to Quebec City, where they showcased the latest in hepatitis C research. The symposium highlighted diverse perspectives on the theme “Hepatitis C in Women” from clinicians, researchers and people with lived and living experience of hepatitis C and substance use. During the event, CATIE asked presenters and attendees to share key takeaways from the conference about this important topic. Watch the short...

Uncovering gaps in hepatitis B and C services for immigrants and newcomers: A new report from Action Hepatitis Canada

May 22, 2024 • By Jennifer van Gennip

Immigrants and newcomers make up almost a quarter of Canada’s population, contributing enormously to the social, cultural, and economic vitality of our country. To ensure Canada upholds its commitment to the well-being of newcomers and the strength of our diverse communities, it’s essential to prioritize equitable access to healthcare. This not only safeguards the individual health and dignity of newcomers but also nurtures the resilience and prosperity of our society as a whole. Ensuring equitable healthcare means acknowledging that immigrants may have distinct needs due to cultural and linguistic barriers or other social determinants of health. They may also be...