Shame stops Hep C treatment
January 16, 2013
THOUSANDS of Australians with
hepatitis C risk serious liver
complications such as liver failure
or liver cancer because the shame
associated with the disease acts as
a barrier to treatment, according to
a new report by Economist
Intelligence Unit.
The report, titled The Silent
Pandemic: Tackling Hepatitis C with
Policy Innovation, also warns that
the impact of hepatitis C, which is
now responsible for more deaths in
Australia than HIV/AIDS, is set to
grow dramatically as people who
contracted the virus before it was
identified in 1989 now develop liver
related complications.
It is estimated that more than a
quarter of a million Australians are
infected with hepatitic C, eighty
percent of which, according to the
report, contracted the virus through
unsafe injecting drug use.
“Whether the person contracted
the blood-borne virus through drug
use or other means, few are
prepared to admit to having the
infection and many delay testing
and treatment,” said report
contributor Jack Wallace, Research
Fellow, La Trobe University.
“It is estimated that more than
225,000 Australians are infected
with the hepatitis C virus, most
know that they have the virus, yet
only two per cent receive
treatment every year,” he added.
The report also found that
worldwide, the full scope of the
problem is unknown because
epidemiological data remains
incomplete.
In addition the report noted
significant barriers to addressing
the disease exist, including gaps in
scientific knowledge, poor public
awareness and delay of treatment
due to cost and side effects.
MEANWHILE, responding to the
report, Hepatitis Australia
President Stuart Loveday said that
increasing treatment rates within
Australia is both a priority and a
challenge.
“Right now new hepatitis C
treatment options offer a high
chance of cure for people with the
most common and hardest to treat
strain of the hepatitis C virus,
genotype-1,” he said.
“Hepatitis Australia hopes these
drugs are listed on the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in
the near future,” he added.
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