Ignoring Chronic Hepatitis B Treatment Costly, Specialist Says

The head of gastroenterology at Vancouver General Hospital said British Columbia could save money by treating patients with chronic hepatitis B before they require intensive hospital care. Antivirals cost $5 to $22 per day (US $5-$22), versus hospital stays that can run into the millions, said Dr. Eric Yoshida, who is also a University of B.C. professor.


Immigrants from China and Southeast Asia are disproportionately impacted by hepatitis B: Roughly 15 percent of these individuals are infected, compared to 1 percent for all Canadians. The blood-borne virus, which can show no symptoms for decades, often passes from mother to baby during childbirth. Many Asia-Pacific countries are behind on routine pediatric vaccination against hepatitis B, a practice that reduces onward transmission.


Left untreated, hepatitis B causes liver damage, and about 25 percent of those unknowingly infected develop conditions like cirrhosis or cancer. The province has approximately 60,000 chronic cases, nearly all of them in metro Vancouver.


Better medical management of hepatitis B patients is needed. The Chinese advocacy group S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and university experts are asking the government to add the condition to its chronic disease management program so doctors can more easily follow patients. Doing so would allow providers to bill the government $50 to $125 annually (US $50-$126) per case, incentivizing treatment oversight.


The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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