New study looks at how to eliminate hepatitis C in First Nations communities – The Globe and Mail

A new study has identified gaps in the testing and treatment of hepatitis C among First Nations communities in Ontario, highlighting where to direct efforts to eliminate the viral infection that can cause serious liver damage.

The study, published in the CMAJ on Tuesday, provides clarity about the extent to which First Nations communities in the province are affected by hepatitis C, and informs further steps that are needed to address high rates of infection, said co-author Lyndia Jones, a member of the Health Canada-funded Ontario First Nations HIV/AIDS Education Circle (OFNHAEC). Her group supports those with HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections.

“This has been really helpful for our Circle because this is the first time we’ve actually had some data and some research to validate the work that we need to do in educating our communities and providing harm-reduction tools and resources,” Ms. Jones said.

Hepatitis C, which is spread through contaminated blood, is a major public-health problem globally, according to senior author Jordan Feld, the interim director of the Toronto Centre for Liver Disease at Toronto General Hospital. Viral hepatitis, of which hepatitis C is one type, causes more deaths per year than HIV, tuberculosis or malaria, he said.

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