Organizations hope better access to meds halts spread of hepatitis C

Some Thunder Bay, Ont. organizations treating hepatitis Cpatients say the province's move to improve access to curative drugsfor the disease could help stop its spread.

"It's an exciting time," said Holly Gauvin, the executive director of Elevate NWO, a group that supports hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS patients.

Thunder Bay has some of the highest hepatitis C infection rates in Ontario, according to public health officials.

Until now, only patients with at least moderate liver damage could access the new, once-a-day drugs through government programs.

In February, however, the provinces and the federal government reached a new, cost-saving deal with the companies that make the medications,improving theiravailability.

• Saskatchewan expands coverage for 6 hepatitis C drugs

Nowall patients in the province can apply for funding for a course of treatment, regardless of how sick they are.

'A new lease on life'

"It means that we're going to be able to treat more people," Gauvin said.

"It means people will be able to live better and longer and be able to resolve at least one health care issue. It also means a stop in the spread of hep C."

They're very excited- Sarah Williams, Canadian Addiction Treatment Centres

Treatment offers "a new lease on life" to the 30 per cent of Elevate's clients that didn't previously qualify for coverage, Gauvin said.

"Imagine how frustrating it is to go through getting tested, finding out that you have this diagnosis that could change your life and ... then be told that even though you're ready, willing and able to move on to treatment, you have to wait until you get more ill," she added.

About 10 per cent of the clients of theCanadian Addiction Treatment Centres in Thunder Bay now qualify for treatment, said Sarah Williams, the hepatitis C support staff lead.

"They're very excited. They're willing to do whatever they have to do to get into the treatment and they're being very cooperative. So I think it's a little bit more reassuring ... that their health matters," Williams said.

Reduction in health care costs

The arrival of the new drugs over the past two years has given new hope to patients who previously thought their illness was terminal and their health was a lost cause, Williams said.

Word-of-mouth from clients who successfully used the medications which have much higher cure rates and far fewer side-effects than previous treatments has already driven more people to the centres seeking them out, she added.

Although it's still early-going, Williams predicted the regionas a whole should see a reduction in health care costs as a result of the new drugs.

"These people who have symptoms or side effects due to their hep C going untreated aren't going to be needing to access emergency services or walk-in doctors because they can deal with the disease," she said,

The medications will "get the virus out of their body as quick as possibleand have an overall general healthier life," she added.