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New British Columbia, Canada,
policies will provide uninterrupted access to Pharmacare-covered medications
for patients with chronic hepatitis B. Dr. Eric Yoshida, head of
gastroenterology at the University of British Columbia, praised the new policy,
which eliminates the need for British Columbian physicians to resubmit renewals
for hepatitis B medications annually. Yoshida stated that gaps or delays in
treatment could result in lower efficacy of the medications.
Chronic hepatitis B incidence is
higher in British Columbia than in other Canadian provinces because of the high
number of Asian immigrants, many of whom were infected with hepatitis B at
birth. Because hepatitis B often has no symptoms, many immigrants are unaware
of the infection, which can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer.
SUCCESS, a Vancouver-based immigrant
support group, received a $400,000 grant from the province to develop and
implement education projects aimed to increase hepatitis B screening and
treatment among immigrants. SUCCESS conducted a 2012 telephone poll of 1,000
Asian immigrants that revealed approximately half of participants had been
screened for hepatitis B, but 88 percent of hepatitis B-infected people were
not taking medications for the virus. Although not a cure, hepatitis B
medications may slow damage to the liver.
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.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
