Hepatitis C: silencing a silent killer
EHF Fellow Hazel Heal is shedding light on a curable, but often overlooked virus that is affecting millions.
Hepatitis C is not often talked about. To most people, the name carries only a vague notion of an illness they can’t quite define. They may have heard that it was spread through drug-use or know that it has something to do with the liver… But for the 71 million people around the world who have chronic Hepatitis C, the disease is an unclouded reality.
What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral infection that attacks the liver and leads to inflammation.
Once the virus has been identified, there are several antiviral medications that can eradicate it. But left untreated, Hepatitis C can grow into a chronic problem and can lead to death.
Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common occurrence because its symptoms (fatigue, fever, depression, and gastrointestinal problems) often take years to surface and many people don’t get tested until it is too late. In New Zealand, it is estimated that half of the 50,000 people living with chronic Hep C don’t know that they have it.
There is also a stigma tied to the virus because of an overstated and irrelevant association with drug use. In actuality, one can contract the virus in many ways including dental and medical work, tattoo equipment, piercings, and contact sports.
Regardless of how or when it was contracted, it is so important to de-stigmatize the virus, encourage testing, and outline a clear path to recovery for infected people.
A Fearless Advocate for Eliminating Hep C
When Hazel was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2015, her body had reached a critical state. Doctors informed her that her liver was deteriorating at a rapid pace and that she would likely die if she didn’t receive treatment.
Shockingly, the antiviral medication cost $400,000 NZD, more than Hazel could afford. Hope seemed lost until Hazel was able to get her hands on a generic version at less than 100th the cost, through a humanitarian project led by an Australian doctor
While traumatic, it also inspired Hazel to dedicate the last five years to creating smoother roads to recovery for Hep C patients in New Zealand and around the world.
Through her NGO, Hepatitis C Action Aotearoa, Hazel has fought for and won cheaper drug prices and wider access to treatment across the country. New Zealand can now provide free treatment to all through a drug called Maviret, a direct-acting antiviral medication that has been clinically proven to cure more than 99% of cases.
With the solution now readily available in New Zealand, Hazel is now focusing her efforts on de-stigmatizing Hepatitis C and encouraging more people to get tested.
Ending Hep C in New Zealand by 2025
The next big ambitious step on this journey comes in the form of a new nonprofit: Global Health NZ that is on its way to eliminating Hep C and Hep B from the entire population of Niue. This would make Nuie the first country to have completely eradicated the virus in its people.
Global Health NZ hopes to do the same in New Zealand in the coming years and eventually expand its healing reach across the whole world.
Hazel says that New Zealand has the opportunity to eliminate Hepatitis C by 2025, which is 5 years ahead of the target set by the World Health Organization. But this will only be possible if awareness continues to grow.
No, Hepatitis C is not often talked about… but the solutions are with us, the road is clearly marked and Hazel is leading the way to a Hep C free future.
Journey with us
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