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Hepatitis C Prevention, Support and Research Program
Health Canada

Get the Facts: Mid-term evaluation report

II. Genesis of the Hepatitis C Prevention, Support and Research Program

Since the hepatitis C virus was isolated and characterized in 1989, Canada has responded to this threat to public health through various levels of government. Actions have been aimed at preventing the spread of the infection and supporting care initiatives for those infected with, affected by, and at risk of contracting hepatitis C.

In 1997, the Krever Commission reported on the issue of the safety of Canada’s blood supply; after the publication of the commission report, the Government of Canada announced a comprehensive strategy to address hepatitis C. The strategy would, specifically, protect the health of Canadians by improving blood safety and by building knowledge about hepatitis C, and would ensure that Canadians who have been infected with hepatitis C through the blood system do not pay out-of-pocket expenses for medical treatment. This $525 million package included $50 million over five years to develop new disease prevention and community-based programs and support research on hepatitis C. The result, the Hepatitis C Prevention, Support and Research Program, was designed, implemented and managed by Health Canada.

The Hepatitis C Prevention, Support and Research Program (hereafter referred to as “the Program” in this document) is a five-year initiative spanning fiscal years 1999/00 to 2003/04. It was developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including people who have contracted HCV. This consultation process was instrumental in outlining the following goals for the Program:

• To contribute to the prevention of hepatitis C;

• To support people infected with and affected by hepatitis C through the development and availability of tools and mechanisms;

• To provide a stronger evidence base for hepatitis C policy and programming decisions and to advance prevention, treatment and care options by expanding the body of available research and research capacity; and

• To strengthen the response of the Canadian population to hepatitis C through increased awareness and capacity.

Program Components

To address hepatitis C issues of prevention, support and research, a program with five inter-related components was conceived. The five components are as follows.

Management, Policy, Evaluation and Public Involvement		The Program will be managed strategically using public involvement and evidence-based decision-making. A population health framework will guide Program delivery. ($4.47 million)
Research		Initiatives will encourage and support research, and the development and dissemination of knowledge about hepatitis C. ($14.13 million)
Care and Treatment Support		Targeted national-level initiatives will be aimed at supporting the needs of people infected with and affected by hepatitis C. ($8.43 million)
Prevention		Initiatives will be aimed at preventing the transmission of hepatitis C. ($4.9 million)
Community-based Support		This component covers programming that supports community-based response to the needs of people infected with, affected by, or at risk of contracting hepatitis C, with mechanisms for input from community groups to ensure effectiveness. ($18.06 million)

More detailed information on the activities planned in each of these components is discussed together with findings from the evaluation in the Implementation section of this report.

The goals of the Program are community-based and aim at effectiveness at the local level; as a result, the Program is best administered through a regional Program structure. The Program is administered by Health Canada regional program staff located in seven regions: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba/Saskatchewan, Quebec, Ontario, Atlantic, and the Northern Secretariat (Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon). (The Northern Secretariat was formed in 2002.)

The reach of the Program was intended to be primary and secondary clients: primary clients are those infected with, affected by and at risk of contracting hepatitis C; and secondary clients are those individuals or community organizations providing services to primary clients.

Key Points

• The Program was established for five years, from fiscal year 1999-2000 to fiscal year 2003-2004.

• The Program was allotted $50 million in resources.

• There are five components to the Program: management, research, care and treatment support, prevention, and community-based support.

• Primary clients of the Program are people infected with, affected by, or at risk of contracting hepatitis C.

• Secondary clients are those individuals or community organizations providing services to primary clients.

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