100% Pure New Zealand Hepatitis C

Who do I have to tell if I have Hepatitis C In New Zealand?

Hepatitis C and Disclosure

Someone asked about Hepatitis C and disclosure

With some help from the Hepatitis C resources Centre Dunedin and the New Zealand

Ministry of Health the definitive reply seems to be.

DISCLOSURE
A person with hepatitis C is not legally required to disclose his/her positive

status unless he/she is,
*A member of, or applying to join, the New Zealand defense force.
*A healthcare worker undertaking exposure-prone procedures.
*Donating blood.

Page 19 of the little yellow book of Hep C Facts,:

If you would like a copy of   the little yellow book of Hep C Facts ring

Hepatitis C Helpline New Zealand 0800 224372 (0800 22 HEPC) or email  the Otago

Hepatitis C Resource Centre hepcotago @xtra.co.nz

Hep C Concert Christchurch

Thank you to Roger Grauwmeijer Rokpx.com Roger@RokPx.com for the images from the day May 22 concert in thepark

Dunedin opened it’s new Hepatitis C resource centre

photos were taken speeches were made.

An article about the opening and the centre’s worker Heath Te Au appeared in the

Otago Daily Times,

” Fresh chance inspires hepatitis C educator

Having a ruptured appendix in the 1990s may have helped save Heath Te Au’s life.

Blood tests taken at the time of this medical emergency showed that he had hepatitis C, most likely the result of sharing needles and drug equipment during a time when he was an intravenous drug user.

After his appendix removal a doctor asked him to think about what he was doing to himself.

Mr Te Au (40) said it was a wake-up call, something which led him to change his life.

He underwent treatment in 1999 and 2000 and is now clear of the blood-borne virus which had been caught early enough not to cause major liver damage.

Now, he uses his experience to help educate others in his role as manager and one of two educators at Otago’s Hepatitis C Resource Centre. ”

Where are the Hepatitis C Resources for Wellington ?

A very large proportion of the population have no access to hepatitis C resources

its’ dysfunctional and emphasis the New Zealand’s Ministry of Health’s complete

failure to address the needs of those affected and infected by the Hepatitis C

epidemic.

The New Zealand Ministry of health attempts to contact the victims of Croydon Day Clinic

Hep C tracking hampered by privacy issues

Health authorities have tested more than half the women in New Zealand potentially exposed to the hepatitis C virus in a Melbourne abortion clinic, but are being hampered by confidentiality rules which mean they cannot leave phone messages.

Fifty-six New Zealand women have called the Ministry of Health’s Healthline, concerned they had contracted the virus after James Latham Paters, an anaesthetist at Melbourne’s Croydon Day Surgery Clinic was now being investigated by police and medical authorities. More than 20 of his patients tested positive to a strain of hepatitis C identical to his own.

“The Australian Victorian health authorities have contacted 33 New Zealanders and the bulk of those have been tested,” said the ministry’s director of public health, Fran McGrath.

The New Zealand test result figures would be released as part of the Australian report once the contacting and testing process was completed. The ministry expected to have a further update in September.

Dr McGrath said contacting the women was a slow process because confidentiality requirements meant callers could not leave messages and had to repeatedly ring back.

“Even contacting one individual can take several calls followed by a registered letter, all of which can take a considerable period of time.”

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/3918567/Hep-C-tracking-hampered-by-privacy-issues

Hepatitis C Resource Centre Otago Stakeholders Meeting June 16

Hep C Seminar Dunedin

Insights offered on hepatitis C, services

“Recent concern about the risk of hepatitis C to women who may have been treated at a private medical clinic in Melbourne highlights the need for increased awareness about the illness, clinical nurse specialist Margaret Fraser says.

Ms Fraser, who is the chairwoman of the reference group for Otago’s Hepatitis C Resource Centre, said there was still widespread ignorance about the condition.

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/110725/insights-offered-hepatitis-c-services

After sorting out my family commitments I arrived late at 9.20 so missed the

Opening / powhiri ,  Heath Te Au , Hepatitis C Resource Centre Otago who works as

a phlebotomist and the needle exchange and Margaret Fraser the hepatitis c nurse

from Dunedin Hospital speaking about  Epidemiology and treatment of Hepatitis C

apologies that I missed them speaking.

Dr Janet Downs from the free doctor’s clinic at DIVO the Dunedin needle exchange

talked about  Hepatitis C in the community. She spoke eloquently about her work

at the needle exchange, if you live in Dunedin / Otago and want to see her at the

needle exchange free clinic for IDU Intravenous Drug Users ring the needle

exchange and make an appointment

Dr Michael Schultz, Hepatitis C and what happens if you decide against treatment

was the next speaker.

Key points  “everybody should be treated the earlier the better”

The younger you are when you begin treatment the better chance of a successful

outcome

There were some unique and disturbing aspects to the policy ?  of the Southern

District Heath Board

1, people are not able to get a second course of treatment if the first course

fails to successfully clear the hepatitis c virus.   One strike and you’re out

this just seems to be harsh when retreatment is an option in other DHB’s.

2, You have to have a biopsy in the Southern region ( Dr Schultz couldn’t

understand why anyone would complain about a biopsy as they obviously didn’t have

a problem with needles?)

A professional contact sent us this, “I contacted leading  NZ specialist expert

to clarify who needs a biopsy and who doesn’t.   Here is the response: “We have

never needed a biopsy for Gt 1 or HIV infected or haemophilia.  Only change is

for Gt 2 and 3 where now Peg/RBV is available to all rather than just those with

severe fibrosis.”
In the past only G2/G3 who has severe fibrosis could access funding, therefore

for this to be determined, a liver biopsy was needed.  The new funding for

treatment now includes all G2/G3 hep C patients; hence a liver biopsy may not be

necessary.
Interesting sounds like you may not have to have a biopsy in other DHB’s.

If a liver biopsy is a barrier to accessing treatment for some people (I think it

is) we would be better to remove it in some cases ?

Merrilee Williams RN, Otago hepatitis C nurse spoke about treating Hepatitis C

next she was knowledgeable and gave a informative presentation.

Michelle MacDonald, Psychiatric Liaison spoke on treating people with Hepatitis

C
and the neuro psychiatric effects of treatment

Depression
Fatigue
Irritability
Insomnia and sleep disturbances

She explained that preexisting mental health issues can and need to be treated

before treatment

Once these conditions are being treated they do not preclude someone from

successfully undertaking treatment.

Bill Jang, Christchurch Hepatitis C Resource Centre Te Waipounamu arrived by

helicopter (well maybe not, but he made a very brief appearance and then left) ,

he made the interesting point that the recent international 1 in 12 hepatitis

campaign was  actually one in forty New Zealanders have hepatitis B or C.

He has begun educating rest homes on Hepatitis C care.

Shame the needle exchange DIVO wasn’t there to advocate for their clients but

again they to seem to be uninterested in their client’s access to care or issues

surrounding Hepatitis C. Not surprising when the local needle exchange is now

entirely governed  and run from Christchurch as a skeleton service.

Wonder how that works with the Ottawa charter on public health. Best just ignore

best practice for public health and instead have our poorly performing health

services controlled from Christchurch.

The good news is there has been an increase in the number of people being treated

in Otago from 24 to 40. I imagine this is the people with genotype three who are

finally getting treatment after Pharmac changed the funding for treatment for

their genotype finally making it accessible.

If we do the calculation that 1% of Otago population has hep c a figure of 1800

people and the Otago/ Southern ? District Heath board treat 40 per year, we can

calculate that in just 45 years everyone would be diagnosed and treated.

Maybe Bill Jang is right about rest homes, assuming the undiagnosed infected live

that long.

It was a good opportunity to see Hepatitis C discussed in the community in such a

positive way a great morning well done to the organisers.

Their were lots of info  / pamphlets available and I picked up a glossy A4 brochure from Roche aimed at raising awareness amongst NZ General Practice Doctors which has to be a good thing.

You and Pegasys Together we can cure hepatitis C Identify and refer patients today.

Roche pamphlet targeting GP’s.

With 75 % of hepatitis C patients undiagnosed it seems a timely resource

Each New Zealand GP practice on average would have 15 patients.  Most undiagnosed

and untreated.

North Island Hepatitis C Resource Centre (Te Ika a Maui)

I just found this website for the North Island Hepatitis c Resouce Centre I’m

guessing it’s the replacement for the old site that seems to have disappeared the

Hepatitis C Resource Centre (Te Ika a Maui)   http://www.hepcresources.org.nz/

put on your sunglasses it’s bright with all those virus floating round.

Best of Health

www.hcv.org.nz