Some one asked me what being on Hepatitis C Treatment is like.
I read this list the other day and realised it’s a the best description of treatment
I’ve seen.
Interferon/treatment/side effects is…….. (The percentage of patients who experience this side effect %)
Physical Fatigue (86 %),
Irritability (74% ),
Depression (70%) ,
Mental Fatigue (70%),
Abdominal discomfort (68%),
Poor memory (65%) ,
Sleep problems (65 % ),
Joint Discomfort (64 %),
Trouble concentrating (62%),
generalized pain (67%),
Headache (56%),
Muscular discomfort (54%),
Nausea (52%).
Lang Ca, et al J Pain Sym Manage, 2006;31:335-344
And I LOVE IT ALL Interferon is my chance to help my body beat this virus, which is why I acknowledge the side effects deal with them and keep going.
When i used to ask people what’s Interferon like they would say
“it’s all about your attitude, be positive you can do it.”
Good advice.
ENGLAND Recently released Archer report
2,000 Total estimated number who have died as a result of receiving contaminated blood products
Lord Archer’s report described the infection of thousands of haemophiliacs with hepatitis C and HIV as “a horrific human tragedy”, adding: “Subsequent events have done little to alleviate the hurt of the victims or their families.”
4,670 Number who contracted hepatitis C after receiving tainted blood from NHS in the late 70s and early 80s
1,243 Number who contracted hepatitis C and HIV from infected blood
2,000 Total estimated number who have died as a result of receiving contaminated blood products
£75,000 Cost of Archer inquiry, which was funded entirely by donations and received no government support
The New Zealand Herald news paper has an interesting article on the Archer report
LONDON – The first extensive report into a tainted-blood scandal in Britain stopped short of blaming individual doctors or companies for what is widely viewed as the National Health Service’s worst treatment disaster.
House of Lords member Peter Archer’s report yesterday called the scandal a “horrific human tragedy” but did not name any specific medical workers or pharmaceutical companies as being responsible for the deaths of around 2000 haemophiliacs since the 1970s.
The scandal has parallels to similar events in New Zealand when both Labour and National health ministers allowed hundreds of people to be given tainted-blood products that had not been screened for hepatitis C. A reliable screening process became available in 1990, but New Zealand did not introduce nationwide screening until 1992.
Read more nz herald article
The Haemophilia Society England Archer Report in Quotes
How Third world is the New Zealand Health care for Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C in Pakistan
In written reply to a question, minister for health Aijaz Hussain Jhakrani said the figures have been compiled by a recent sero-prevalence study conducted by Pakistan Medical Research Council.
Pakistan revealed 8.3 million or 4.9% of the population have Hepatitis C
“The quantum of hepatitis C and B are 4.9 percent and 2.5 percent respectively,” the minister added.
He said the availability of diagnostic facilities and awareness campaigns have un-earthed the hidden burden of the disease.
The Prime Minister Programme for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis was launched in August 2005 with a total cost of Rs2.594 billion for a period of five years.
The number of patients with the disease since then have increased manifold as the government started to provide free treatment, though on a limited scale.
When the programme was launched in 2005-06 the number of patients, most of them poor, who were registered and treated at government hospitals were 10,815 and 1,000 for hepatitis C and B respectively.
For the year 2008-09 the figure is 84,773 and 7,204 respectively for the two categories of the disease. Free treatment is restricted only to the poor patients through financial support provided by Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal and Zakat and Ushr departments.
Third world Hepatitis C Health Care in New Zealand ?
Let’s see how New Zealand compares to Pakistan.
NO sero-prevalence study, between 2005 -2008
No increase in the numbers being treated for Hepatitis C in New Zealand.
There seems to be a serious problem with the New Zealand health system, why can’t they be more on to it like Pakistan…………..
In New Zealand we haven’t even began to look at finding the hidden burden of the disease as we ignore it will grow’s inevitably in to a bigger problem.
Hepatitis C is growing every day the delay in addressing it will cost the country millions and infect more people as the disease becomes more prevalent .
This is story from the Southland Times newspaper shows why the general public should be very concerned the virus has spread so widely and the government response has been so poor so far. You never know where you will meet hepatitis C it is so prevalent in our country.
“she was pricked by a hypodermic needle concealed in her newspaper.”
The Bluff woman horror as she pricked her finger while removing the bag, the woman said.
Unwrapping the newspaper she discovered seven syringes and hypodermic needles in a snap-lock bag inside. Wrapped around the bag was an intravenous line and butterfly needle, she said. “It was dirty and had blood in the line.”
She immediately phoned police.
Since the incident she had undergone tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C and other blood-borne diseases after police told her the delivery contractor had admitted being an intravenous drug user.
Those tests would be ongoing, the woman said.
Constable Jordan Edwards, of Bluff, said police had spoken to the contractor and he had admitted concealing the syringes in a newspaper that had got mixed up with other newspapers.
The sad out come for many as the epidemic spreads is the whole community is exposed to the risk.
read more
Some occupations are incredibly high risk.
His family knew him as Freddy, everyone at Station 18 called him the
chef. 18 year-veteran, Martin County Firefighter Freddy Pierno died at
his Port St. Lucie home surrounded by family and fellow firefighters
who nursed him until his death from liver cancer on Wednesday.
Infected with Hepatitis C from a patient he treated in 2006, Freddy Pierno went
to Shann’s for treatment, but then it quickly progressed to liver
cancer. Pierno is the 7th firefighter in the state to die from
contracting the Hepatitus C Virus in the line of duty.
“When the public hears of a firefighter dying in the line of duty, they
understandably think of building fires or some traditional emergency,”
said John Davidson, a 25-year-firefighter and president of the Martin
County Firefighters Association. “Few think of the suffering and
deterioration of an infectious disease. Even though we do our best to
educate and protect our guys from such exposure, sometimes these things
are unavoidable. The dangerous part of our job isn’t just burning
buildings but quite often things you cannot even see. It is part of
risks associated with the Fire Service today. Firefighter Pierno shall
be missed and remembered as a heroic patriot who served his country
first and his community later by answering the call-and giving his
life-for his commitment to civic duty.
Best Of Health
www.hcv.org.nz