EDITOR:
We are 10 years away from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mandate of curing hepatitis C. In 2016, Canada was one of the 194 countries that committed to eradicating the disease by 2030.
While much progress has been made toward eliminating hepatitis C, many of the over 250,000 Canadians who have hepatitis C have yet to be diagnosed and cured.
The good news is that building blocks are in place, including a Blueprint to inform hepatitis C elimination efforts in Canada and short duration medication is covered by our public healthcare system. Countries including Japan, Egypt, Mongolia, the United Kingdom and South Korea, are showing that disease eradication can be achieved – it’s time for an action plan based on provincial plans.
We support many initiatives to help elevate and prioritize hepatitis C elimination and are particularly proud of our P.E.I. partnership. P.E.I. is a shining example of how elimination can be achieved. In fact, P.E.I. is the first province to be on track and will reach hepatitis C elimination by 2025.
Since P.E.I.’s 10-year hepatitis C program was launched in 2015, 45 per cent of Islanders living with HCV have been treated. P.E.I. also seeks to identify and treat core transmitter populations to minimize further hepatitis C infection.
Let’s work together to ensure that Canada is one of the countries on track for WHO 2030 elimination.
Stéphane Lassignardie is president of AbbVie Canada, a global biopharmaceutical company with its Canadian head office in Montreal, Que.
