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2. The Hepatitis C Prevention, Support and
Research Program
In September 1998, the federal Minister of Health announced a
wide-ranging strategy to address hepatitis C. The basic aims are
to improve blood safety, build knowledge about hepatitis C, and
ensure that people infected with hepatitis C through the blood
system do not incur out-of-pocket expenses for their medical treatment.
As part of the federal response to hepatitis C, the Hepatitis
C Prevention, Support and Research Program was established in 1999
following wide stakeholder consultations. The Program has four
major goals:
- to contribute to the prevention of hepatitis C infection;
- to support Canadians who are infected with, affected by, or
at risk of developing hepatitis C, by encouraging the development
and dissemination of useful tools and mechanisms;
- to foster research initiatives and increase research capacity
- to both strengthen the evidence base guiding policy/program
development, and expand the options for prevention, treatment
and cure; and
- to strengthen the public's potential to respond effectively
to hepatitis C, by raising awareness and building the required capacity.
At the community level, the Hepatitis C Prevention, Support and
Research Program works primarily through two components -Prevention,
and Community-Based Support. Together, these components receive
almost half of the program's five-year budget, or $21 million out
of a total of $50 million. (Three other program components - Care
and Treatment Support, Research, and Management, Policy, Evaluation and Public Involvement - account for the remainder.)
The Prevention component seeks to:
- contribute to measures aimed at preventing the spread of the
hepatitis C virus (HCV), especially among those at greatest risk;
- build the necessary commitment and capacity in key societal
sectors and institutions to collaboratively pursue and support
integrated prevention measures.
The Community-Based Support component focuses
on awareness and capacity-building activities that strengthen local
support. Specifically, its objectives are to:
- contribute to increased public understanding of the nature
and effects of hepatitis C, thereby creating a more sensitive
and supportive climate for persons infected with, affected by,
or at risk of hepatitis C infection;
- increase the capacity of regional/local community-based organizations
to support such persons.
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