Unite2Eliminate

Raise Your Hand action

Activists across the world are joining their efforts to advocate for scaling up the access to affordable treatment of hepatitis C for all. The suggest to focus on people who use injecting drugs, as the core epidemics is concentrated in this population, constituting from 10% up to 100% in some countries.*

These medicines, called direct antiviral agents (DAA) are much more effective, safer and better-tolerated than the older therapies. Therapy with DAAs can cure about 90%  with hepatitis C infection and treatment is shorter (usually 12 weeks) and safer. Although the production cost of DAAs is low, these medicines remain very expensive in many high- and middle-income countries.

 Join us to advocate for the faster registration, lower prices for DAA and diagnostics, introduction of the national government programmes on hepatitis C treatment.

How to join the campaign on social media?

Write the word DAA on your palm, take the picture of raised hand and post it on your page, and send us a link to Gurina@aph.org.ua for posting it also on the campaign page.

http://www.harm-reduction.org/sites/default/files/pdf/Global%20Prevalence%20of%20HCV%20among%20injecting%20drug%20users%2C%202007%2C%20The%20International%20Journal%20of%20drug%20policy.pdf

 Hepatitis C and injection drug use: know you risk!

 Unite to Eliminate HepC

is a global campaign launched in 2015 by Alliance Centre for HIV, Hepatitis C and Drug Use, in partnership with a group of International HIV/AIDS Alliance Linking Organisations, calling for more accessible and affordable hepatitis C testing and treatment.

Join the “Unite to Eliminate Hep C” campaign on social media and help to promote the campaign:

https://www.facebook.com/unite2eliminate/ on Facebook

@allianceforph on Twitter

THE PROBLEM

Hepatitis C is a liver disease transmitted through the blood. One of the most common modes of infection is though unsafe injection practices. As a result, the disease, disproportionately affects people who inject drugs. Most people are not aware that they have Hepatitis C.

· Between 130-150 million people in the world have chronic Hepatitis C infection.

· Around 2,000 people die every day from Hepatitis C related liver diseases.

THE TREATMENT

Previously, Hep C was treated with a combination of medicines delivered by weekly injections over a period of 48 weeks. The treatment only cured approximately half of those treated and often had severe side effects.

A new form of treatment using antiviral drugs has been developed. The new medicines are called direct antiviral agents (DAAs) and have transformed treatment of Hepatitis C – they are more effective, safer, have fewer side effects and the treatment period is shorter.

· DAAs can completely cure over 90% of people with Hepatitis C.

THE CAMPAIGN

Although these new DAAs are cheap to produce their prices vary dramatically from country to country and remain expensive in many high- and middle- income countries. The Unite to Eliminate Hepatitis C campaign aims to ensure access to treatment and prevention for all those in need.

There are three main elements to the campaign

· to raise awareness of Hepatitis C as a curable disease

· to encourage pharmaceutical companies to reduce their prices for DAAs

· to call on governments to develop, fully fund and implement comprehensive national Hepatitis C programmes.