Fighting for Their Lives: Economist Intelligence Unit Report Finds Patient Groups Lead Global Efforts to Address Hepatitis C

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BEERSE, Belgium, 24 June, /PRN=KYODO JBN/ --

New report calls on governments to play their part and improve surveillance,

screening and diagnosis of hepatitis C worldwide

'Tackling hepatitis C: Moving towards an integrated policy approach', a report

published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) today reveals that many

countries around the world have been slow to respond with national policies on

hepatitis C despite recent government pledges to fight the disease. The

hepatitis C virus remains the leading cause of liver cancer, liver disease and

liver transplantation placing a huge burden on patients' lives and healthcare

systems.

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Even though incremental progress has been made the report states that,

'concrete initiatives remain thin on the ground' because of limited resources,

data and information about the impact of hepatitis C. The report finds that

despite growing awareness of the disease, epidemiological data remain scarce.

This improved awareness underscores the need for a co-ordinated response.

However, global variations in prevalence of and approaches to addressing

hepatitis C still persist.

Non-government organisations (NGOs) and patient groups are leading the way in

raising awareness of hepatitis C and calling for rapid responses from

governments.

"People have got to stop asking, 'should we have a hepatitis programme?' and

start saying 'when are we going to have one?,'" said Charles Gore, President of

the World Hepatitis Alliance, who, in the report, makes a case for integrating

hepatitis initiatives into already existing programmes such as HIV and cancer.

"The 194 countries of the World Health Organisation have provided tangible

direction through the recent Resolution on Viral Hepatitis. Now it's up to

national agencies and programmes to work together to develop and implement

their own strategies tackling viral hepatitis."

Viral hepatitis can lead to years of chronic liver infection and kills 1.4

million people annually, a far higher number than previously thought.[1] With a

peak in hepatitis C-related complications expected in 2020 - 2025, it is

imperative to take action now in order to prevent a steep increase in the rate

of liver cancer and mortalities associated with the disease. A number of

conclusions can be drawn from the report to help achieve this:

- Surveillance of hepatitis C needs to improve and be integrated into local

strategies.

- Screening and diagnosis must reach vulnerable populations to allow effective

prevention and care.

- Outreach is key to improve awareness of hepatitis C, mobilise stakeholders

and ensure coordinated initiatives.

"Countries need to invest in data. They need to be able to identify the problem

to be able to tackle it effectively," said Jack Wallace, Executive Member of

the Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Asia Pacific. "Governments can

then develop co-ordinated responses so that everyone is clear about what they

need to do, who is responsible and what outcomes they need to measure."

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus which affects as many as 170 million people,

or 2.4% of the world's population.[2],[3] Despite this, less than half of all

countries monitor the chronic form of the disease which can lead to cirrhosis

and liver cancer and accounts for 1% of deaths worldwide.[1],[4]

"Whilst it is a positive step forward that hepatitis C is being recognised at a

governmental level, the report shows that there is still much to be done to

help countries address the disease nationally," said Gaston Picchio, Global

Hepatitis Disease Area Leader, Janssen. "By working with the local hepatitis C

communities, Janssen aims to elevate the disease as a serious public health

issue and is seeking commitment from everyone involved in the care of these

patients to improve healthcare infrastructure and overall outcomes for all

those affected."

Different regions face specific challenges in addressing hepatitis C. For

example, Italy's hepatitis C problem is worst among people over age 40. Whilst

Australia has adopted a national hepatitis C strategy, its experience shows

that even the most comprehensive policies face challenges in implementation. A

lack of sufficient data is one of many obstacles to understanding the true

scale of infection in Southeast Asia. And in Latin America, Brazil is leading

the way in promoting better access to data, diagnosis and treatment globally as

it acts early to establish guidelines and protocols to tackle hepatitis C.

A copy of the EIU report is available at the following link:

http://www.janssen-emea.com/hpc/reports/hep-c-policy-approach

This report follows publication of 'The silent pandemic: Tackling hepatitis C

with policy innovation' in January 2013, which investigated how systemic

innovation could minimise the impact of hepatitis C. Both reports were made

possible as a result of financial support from Janssen Pharmaceutical NV

(Janssen).

About Janssen  

Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson are dedicated to

addressing and solving the most important unmet medical needs of our time,

including oncology (e.g. multiple myeloma and prostate cancer), immunology

(e.g. psoriasis), neuroscience (e.g. schizophrenia, dementia and pain),

infectious disease (e.g. HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and tuberculosis), and

cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (e.g. diabetes). Driven by our commitment

to patients, we develop sustainable, integrated healthcare solutions by working

side-by-side with healthcare stakeholders, based on partnerships of trust and

transparency.

Janssen believes to effectively fight hepatitis C, a serious commitment is

required from all stakeholders to improve the healthcare infrastructure across

the continuum of care, increase awareness, provide education and ensure access

to effective treatment for people living with hepatitis C. Janssen is working

around the world to be a positive catalyst in the fight towards eradication of

this deadly disease and serious public health problem.

More information can be found on http://www.janssen.com.

References:  

1. Lozano R, Naghavi M, Foreman K, et al. Global and regional mortality from

235 causes of death for 20 age groups in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis

for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet. 2012;380:2095-128.

2. Ford N, Kirby C, Singh K, et al. Chronic hepatitis C treatment outcomes in

low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Bull

World Health Organ. 2012;90:540-50.

3. World Health Organization. Guidance on prevention of viral hepatitis B and C

in people who inject drugs. July 2012. Available at:

http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/75357/1/9789241504041_eng.pdf?ua=1

Last accessed June 2014.

4. World Health Organization. Global policy report on the prevention and

control of viral hepatitis in WHO member states. July 2013. Available at:

http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/85397/1/9789241564632_eng.pdf?ua=1

Last accessed June 2014.

Source: Janssen