Ontario is unlikely to meet Canada’s targets for eliminating hepatitis C as a public-health threat by 2030 if it continues its current testing and treatment model, a recent study by the University of Waterloo reveals.
He explained that without these strategies, such as education about hepatitis C, people’s behaviours won’t change and can lead to new infections. The risk-based approach recommends testing for individuals with risk factors such as using shared drug-injection equipment, exposure to non-sterile medical equipment, engaging in sexual behaviour where blood is present, or being from a region with a high prevalence of hepatitis C.
The study’s comparison found that the enhanced harm-reduction strategies can reduce new cases by 57.6 per cent. The current strategy of screening and treating as needed would reduce new cases by only 11.1 per cent.