Tag: Hepatitis B | CATIE Blog

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,...

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...