Tag: Hepatitis C | CATIE Blog

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...

Point-of-care RNA testing: Can it close the gap in hepatitis C diagnosis?

April 22, 2024 • By Tamara Barnett

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that can cause liver damage and scarring and make a person very sick if left untreated. Nearly one-quarter of people who have ever had hepatitis C in Canada are unaware of their status, so increasing testing remains pivotal if Canada is to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030. Many advances have been made over the past few years, and more tools are available than ever to test people for hepatitis C. Point-of-care RNA testing for hepatitis C is of particular interest to many service providers because it can be conducted outside...

Tackling misconceptions: Hepatitis C treatment for people who use drugs

April 22, 2024 • By Romane Close

With the advent of treatments called direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), a huge number of people across Canada have been successfully cured of hepatitis C. However, efforts to cure some of the most affected communities continue to be hindered by incorrect or outdated information. For example, many successes in curing hepatitis C have been achieved through the determination of people who use drugs, and yet they still encounter access barriers due to discrimination and problematic misconceptions around treatment eligibility. These gaps in knowledge can be addressed by raising awareness about hepatitis C treatment and organizations across Canada have been working to clarify...