Progress towards viral hepatitis elimination: 2021 report

Action Hepatitis Canada has prepared a hepatitis elimination 2021 progress report in Canada. Measuring progress towards some of the targets and recommendations from CanHepC’s Blueprint to inform hepatitis C elimination efforts in Canada, this report looks at how each Canadian provinces and territory is performing in terms of meeting viral hepatitis elimination goals.

Progress in each provinces and territory was evaluated against 6 criteria chosen by the community-based organisations that make-up the membership of Action Hepatitis Canada: the existence of a strategy or plan for viral hepatitis elimination, whether HCV RNA reflex testing has been implemented, if same-day treatment start is possible, annual HCV treatment prescribing counts, needle and syringe distribution, and HBV infant vaccination. Based on these criteria seven of the ten provinces are on track to meet viral hepatitis elimination goals by 2030. Of note, Prince-Edward Island and Alberta are the only provinces with a viral hepatitis elimination plan and as such are both on track to meet their goals according to the other criteria evaluated in the report. The report highlights that in most provinces where HCV RNA reflex testing is implemented annual HCV treatment targets were also reached. It also contains federal recommendations and federal and provincial correctional sector reports, as well as details of the methodology used to evaluate each criteria.

This report constitutes a useful tool to understand where we are in terms of progress in the different Canadian provinces and is meant as a way to hold them accountable.

The full report is available for download in French and English via Action Hepatitis Canada’s website.