Hep C overtakes AIDS
August 23, 2012
HEPATITIS C has eclipsed HIV/
AIDS as the number one viral killer
in Australia, according to a report
by the Boston Consulting Group.
The report found that at least
300,000 Aussies have been infected
with Hep C over the last 25 years,
and estimates that around 11,000
new cases are diagnosed each year.
Launched in Parliament House
today, the report also found that
only 2% of people with chronic Hep
C are treated each year.
“Hepatitis C is one of the very few
chronic viral infections that may be
cured, however the rate of
treatment uptake is 40 times lower
than the rate for HIV infection,”
said report contributor, Professor
Andrew Lloyd of the Uni of NSW.
Interestingly study authors also
found that for every dollar spent on
treatment, four dollars are currently
spent dealing with the consequences
of untreated conditions related to
hepatitis C, including cirrhosis, liver
failure and liver cancer.
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