Tag: L’hépatite C

Six ways to make harm reduction work in Canada’s prisons

In Canada today, prisoners who inject drugs need to share needles, many of which have been used numerous times by other prisoners. Without access to sterile injection equipment, rates of HIV and hepatitis C virus are much higher behind bars than in the broader community. Prison-based needle and syringe programs (PNSPs) are an important way to address this public health problem, yet Canadian correctional authorities often claim they won’t work. A recent study demonstrates that PNSPs are indisputably feasible in Canada and should be implemented now. A new report, On Point: Recommendations for Prison-Based Needle and Syringe Programs in Canada,...

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We’re all mad here: It’s time to demand affordable Hep C treatment!

My daughter has a smartphone cover that says: “We’re all mad here”. It’s from Alice in Wonderland. I like it; and when it comes to hepatitis C treatment and pricing, it’s quite on point. In 2014, Canada and the rest of the world turned a miraculous corner – a cure for viral hepatitis C was on the market. Wonderful and amazing. Why? Well, viral hepatitis C is the only chronic viral infection that now has a cure – that is, a cure for virtually everyone, with a cure rate of 95 per cent.

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Hep C: Solved with a Cure?

Hepatitis C is curable, reads the script; time and time again I hear this said, have read it, and say it myself. This is great news and a reality for more people than ever before. Does this mean that the job is done? I suppose it depends on one’s perspective. As I listened to members of the science research community speak recently, it is “done and dusted.” “Problem solved,” the headlines will read. Okay, maybe no headlines but a mention on page 4 with a minor piece in the late evening news, even though this may be the biggest news...

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Les gardiens anti-réduction des méfaits du Canada ferment la porte à la stratégie sur l’hépatite

Nous rentrons tout juste du premier Sommet mondial sur l’hépatite, organisé par l’Alliance mondiale contre les hépatites en partenariat avec l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) et le Gouvernement de l’Écosse. Le Gouvernement de l’Écosse s’est fait partenaire de cet événement parce que l’Écosse fait preuve de leadership dans la lutte contre l’hépatite C et, à l’opposé du Canada, s’est dotée d’une stratégie nationale de réponse à l’hépatite C.*

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Oh Canada, we’re ready for your leadership

I had the honour of attending the recent and first-ever World Hepatitis Summit in Glasgow, Scotland from September 2-4, 2015. What a treat it was to come together with hundreds of other people from around the globe to discuss the often ignored health issue of viral hepatitis. Here I was, “amongst my people,” talking like crazy about viral hepatitis as if it were important or something. How new and novel, because here in Canada viral hepatitis is the conversation we never have, despite the fact that at least 250,000 Canadians are affected by it.

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If a cure for the hepatitis C virus exists, does eradication become a public responsibility?

Since 2004 many patient groups and advocacy organizations have observed a day of awareness for viral hepatitis, but it was not until the 63rd annual World Health Assembly in 2010 that the World Health Organization officially declared July 28 as the international day to raise awareness, World Hepatitis Day (WHD). WHD is observed by agencies across the world seeking to address the global epidemic of viral hepatitis that impacts 400 million people worldwide.

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