Victoria – People in B.C. will be better protected against the hepatitis C virus (HCV) as the Province takes further action to accelerate the elimination of the disease and provide better supports for people living with HCV.
To better help government measure the reduction of the viral infection, the Province is bringing together the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) and the BC Hepatitis Network (BCHN) to work on a made-in B.C. HCV-treatment as a prevention strategy and a hepatitis-elimination roadmap.
HCV is a highly transmittable infection that can lead to serious health complications. Fatality rates related to HCV are higher than other communicable diseases, including AIDS and tuberculosis, making this virus a significant public-health issue. An estimated 16,000 people are living with chronic HCV infection in B.C.
Facts about hepatitis C in British Columbia
Hepatitis C (HCV) is a serious, communicable disease that is spread through direct contact with the blood of an infected person.
- Symptoms may include fatigue, jaundice, abdominal pain and joint pain.
- In some people, it can cause liver damage (cirrhosis) or liver cancer.
- Individuals can be re-infected with HCV, making prevention a particularly critical component of B.C.’s approach to viral hepatitis elimination.
- Once someone is successfully treated and cured of HCV, they are no longer able to pass the virus on to others.
- In 2019-20, more than $142 million was spent for medications to treat HCV in B.C.
- In 2021, B.C. released updated viral hepatitis-testing guidelines to support HCV testing in primary care and other settings to further improve outreach to those most affected by HCV.
- In a recent progress report from Action Hepatitis Canada, B.C. was reported to be on track to reach HCV elimination targets.
A key part of the HIV-TasP strategy is to ensure all reasonable steps are taken to ensure no one in need is left behind. The fully implemented TasP strategy is able to prevent avoidable disease, premature death and transmission, and save a significant amount of health-care costs.
As such, the B.C. government supports the collaboration of BCCDC and BC-CfE to accelerate the rollout of the HCV-TasP so the spread of the viral infection in the province can be more effectively monitored. By sharing key relevant data, BCCDC and BC-CfE can connect more people with HCV to lifesaving testing, treatment, care and support services in a timely manner.
The Province is also providing one-time funding of $105,000 to BCHN to co-lead with BCCDC in the development of a viral hepatitis elimination roadmap, with the support of the BC-CfE. The roadmap will define short-term targets for screening, treatment, engagement in care, and community-based prevention and education, which will be fully aligned with B.C.’s goal of eliminating HCV by 2030.
