Old View Slows Hepatitis C Fight
From Hepatitis C Resource Centre
Old View Slows Hepatitis C Fight
By: DAVIS Joanna The Press (Edition 2, Page 15) Jul. 30, 2005
Carriers of hepatitis C are going undiagnosed and missing new treatments because of ignorance and stigma, says a medical researcher. Dr Ian Sheerin, of the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said general practitioners did not actively offer testing, and some patients preferred not to know.
"There seems to be an old view that there's nothing you can do about it, but there are some very good treatments now," he said. Last year, Pharmac began funding a new combination therapy medication for hepatitis C, called pegylated interferon. Treatment had a success rate as high as 80 per cent for some types of hepatitis C infection.
As many as 30,000 New Zealanders are thought to have the disease, spread by contact with infected blood. It is known as the "silent epidemic" because some never develop symptoms and it is thought fewer than 30% have been diagnosed. Sheerin said there was a need for specialised GP clinics to test people and provide follow-up education, support and ongoing laboratory testing for liver function. He cited a successful example in Wellington that ran in conjunction with the needle- exchange programme. Because up to 80% of infections were associated with injecting-drug use, many affected people felt marginalised from society and did not like to go to a regular GP, he said.
Hepatitis Foundation chief executive John Hornell said all GPs should offer testing, so infected people could be monitored and treated. Some people would have forgotten about illicit drug use in their past, he said.
"A lot of professional people did it in the 1970s when heroin came in, and I know of people who've got hep C who only injected once." Bill Jang, 50, had hepatitis C for 25 years before he was diagnosed. His symptoms were "subtle and non- specific".
"There's nothing that hits you like a tonne of bricks. You put a lot of it -- tiredness, intolerance to alcohol -- down to the effects of ageing. I thought maybe I just need my cholesterol checking."
Jang said he had injected drugs as a teenager. Although clean now, his condition was worsened by heavy drinking in his 20s and 30s. After two courses of treatment in his 40s, he was clear of the virus.
Jang, who is manager of the Hepatitis C Resource Centre in central Christchurch, said people needed to realise the infection was more of a problem than many thought.
"A lot of people my age have almost forgotten they put themselves at risk in the '70s and '80s," he said. "We also need to upskill doctors a lot better so they can learn to monitor it." Jang said the resource centre needed more resources to employ paid educators. About 4000 people are affected by hepatitis C in Christchurch. The city has the most injecting-drug users per capita in the country.
CAPTION: Clean: Bill Jang is now clear of the hepatitis C virus after treatment. Photo: David Alexander ________________________________________ Part: A Section: NEWS Sub-Section: NATIONAL Topics: HEPATITIS ; DISEASE CONTROL ; DRUG ABUSE Sub-Topics: CHRISTCHURCH CITY ; NEW ZEALAND CITIES AND REGIONS ; MEDICAL RESEARCH ; STATISTICS The Press, Copyright of Fairfax New Zealand Limited 2005, All rights reserved.
