New Zealand
to get fully
funded hepatitis
C treatment
for all, putting
it on track for
elimination.
Our team, Hep C Action, is
jubilant that treatment for all
genotypes will be available in
New Zealand from 1 February.
Simplifying access to medicines
means that we can now
concentrate on raising awareness,
reducing stigma, and encouraging
people to get tested. Then came DAA’s. In 2015, with
a scan showing a kPa of 40,
climbing Liver Function Tests
(LFT’s), I was told I needed
treatment ‘yesterday’. I sourced
24 weeks’ sofosbuvir and
daclatasvir and was cured. My
most recent scan showed no
cirrhosis, and a normal liver.
This has been a long road and
for me a personal battle. I was
diagnosed with hepatitis C in
1992, nearly as soon as the test
became available. My experience
of the disease has followed the
timeline of the development
of treatment options for the
virus, which I now expect to see
eliminated from the world in my
lifetime. I initially had interferon
plus ribavirin treatment (both
sorts) whilst bringing up three
young children, but in 2003, aged
39 I was diagnosed with cirrhosis
by biopsy. With the dramatic increase in
energy resulting from my cure,
I have completed a law degree
and started Hep C Action, an NGO
aimed at eliminating hepatitis C
worldwide and in New Zealand by
2025. We have been advocating
for the government drug-
buying agency, PHARMAC, to
make treatment available to all,
previously 43% of patients were
unable to receive the treatment.
I want to thank PHARMAC for
listening to submitters like me,
and our experts, in negotiating
a price we can afford to treat
everyone.
On February 1 our group will
be meeting up to celebrate the
decision by PHARMAC, we will
be speaking to the media to
raise awareness about why this
decision is so important and
to encourage people to come
forward for testing.
We are now in an era where
hepatitis elimination is possible;
such exciting times. In my
country, at least 250 lives per
year will be saved, and there
will be a big increase in wellness
and productivity for many more
people as a result. Hep C Action
will be playing our part, we have
created a butterfly symbol to help
erode the stigma of hepatitis C
and we have an action-packed
year planned of campaigns,
media and public speaking.
brand new website has posters to
download, useful anywhere, and
more information.
We are focussed on the campaign
to “find the missing millions”-
those who don’t know they
are infected. We estimate that
30,000 people in New Zealand are
unaware that they are living with
hepatitis C. We will be bringing
our unique, grassroots advocacy
to EASL (European Association
for the Study of the Liver) in
April. If you’re there come look
out for our colourful stand. Our
By Hazel Heal
Advocate Hep C Action Aotearoa
“With the dramatic increase in energy
resulting from my cure, I have completed
a law degree, and started Hep C Action,
an NGO aimed at eliminating hepatitis C
worldwide and in New Zealand by 2025”
6 hep Voice JANUARY 2019
hep Voice
JANUARY 2019 7