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Friday is World Hepatitis Day and we have much to celebrate. We have made great strides in our work toward eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030, but there are still critical areas where we can and must do more.
Thousands of B.C. patients with hepatitis C have already been cured. There are patients who have been diagnosed and meet existing criteria and have cure rates approaching 100 per cent with minimal side effects for most. And starting next year, the B.C. Ministry of Health will make these new therapies available for any British Columbian living with chronic hepatitis C, regardless of the type or severity of their disease. When factoring in the positive health system impacts such as fewer transplants and reduced end-stage disease, the economic analyses is clear — treatment is very cost-effective. The value in human terms with improved quality of life and productivity cannot be overlooked, and helping people to be hepatitis C free is an important piece in reaching and sustaining positive outcomes.
However, the new national screening guidelines recommended in March 2016 by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health exclude these baby boomers which may mean tens of thousands of British Columbians who have hepatitis C won’t find out until it’s too late.
Read the rest of this article here: http://vancouversun.com/opinion/op-ed/opinion-renew-strategy-to-achieve-a-hepatitis-c-free-future