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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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