Project to Support Residents Living with Hepatitis C Virus

October 19, 2000

PROJECT TO SUPPORT RESIDENTS LIVING WITH HEPATITIS C VIRUS

KINGSTON – Peter Milliken, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, on behalf of the Honourable Allan Rock, Minister of Health, today announced funding from the Government of Canada totaling $125,000 over 19 months for a Hepatitis C prevention and education program. The sponsoring agency is the Kingston Frontenac, Lennox & Addington (KFLA) Health Unit. The project will be administered by the Street Health Centre, a satellite office of the KFLA Health Unit.

“This project will provide information and support to individuals living with Hepatitis C to help them cope, as well as to those at high risk of contracting the virus,” said Mr. Milliken. “It will also foster supportive environments for people who are living with, or affected by, the Hepatitis C virus.”

This project’s primary goal is to strengthen the capacity of the local community to respond to the health and social needs of people living with the Hepatitis C virus, as well as those affected by it or at risk of contracting it. The KFLA Health Unit estimates that more than 3,000 new cases of Hepatitis C have been identified in the region since 1995, and the staff at the Street Health Centre have observed an increase in Hepatitis C cases among clients at its methadone clinic and in its sex trade workers program.

Specific activities include a comprehensive needs assessment to determine the requirements of those who have the virus or who are at risk of contracting it, the establishment of a local resource centre with information on how communities can provide support, and educational and prevention services for people at risk

In addition, the project will hire an outreach worker to inform high-risk populations such as injection drug users, sex trade workers, street youth and ex-prisoners on how to avoid contracting the virus, and will provide on-going peer education and support.

The Street Health Centre provides primary care, prevention and treatment services to hard-to-reach and high-risk priority populations. The centre was formed in 1996 as an inner-city health partnership between the KFLA Health Unit, the Lily King Primary Care Group, Hotel Dieu Hospital and Queen’s University School of Nursing.

The Hepatitis C program provides the basis for a federal response to Hepatitis C. Funding will be provided for programming to support a strong community-based response to the needs of persons infected with, or affected by, Hepatitis C. The activities of this community-based component will contribute to gaining a better understanding of the nature and effects of Hepatitis C infection and how communities can provide support.