Fighting for Their Lives: Economist Intelligence Unit Report Finds Patient Groups Lead Global Efforts to Address Hepatitis C

Beerse, Belgium (ots/PRNewswire) -

New report calls on governments to play their part and improve
surveillance,

screening and diagnosis of hepatitis C worldwide

'Tackling hepatitis C: Moving towards an integrated policy
approach', a report published by The Economist Intelligence Unit
(EIU) today reveals that many countries around the world have been
slow to respond with national policies on hepatitis C despite recent
government pledges to fight the disease. The hepatitis C virus
remains the leading cause of liver cancer, liver disease and liver
transplantation placing a huge burden on patients' lives and
healthcare systems.

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Even though incremental progress has been made the report states
that, 'concrete initiatives remain thin on the ground' because of
limited resources, data and information about the impact of hepatitis
C. The report finds that despite growing awareness of the disease,
epidemiological data remain scarce. This improved awareness
underscores the need for a co-ordinated response. However, global
variations in prevalence of and approaches to addressing hepatitis C
still persist.

Non-government organisations (NGOs) and patient groups are leading
the way in raising awareness of hepatitis C and calling for rapid
responses from governments.

"People have got to stop asking, 'should we have a hepatitis
programme?' and start saying 'when are we going to have one?,'" said
Charles Gore, President of the World Hepatitis Alliance, who, in the
report, makes a case for integrating hepatitis initiatives into
already existing programmes such as HIV and cancer. "The 194
countries of the World Health Organisation have provided tangible
direction through the recent Resolution on Viral Hepatitis. Now it's
up to national agencies and programmes to work together to develop
and implement their own strategies tackling viral hepatitis."

Viral hepatitis can lead to years of chronic liver infection and
kills 1.4 million people annually, a far higher number than
previously thought.[1] With a peak in hepatitis C-related
complications expected in 2020 - 2025, it is imperative to take
action now in order to prevent a steep increase in the rate of liver
cancer and mortalities associated with the disease. A number of
conclusions can be drawn from the report to help achieve this:

- Surveillance of hepatitis C needs to improve and be integrated into local
strategies.
- Screening and diagnosis must reach vulnerable populations to allow effective
prevention and care.
- Outreach is key to improve awareness of hepatitis C, mobilise stakeholders and
ensure coordinated initiatives.

"Countries need to invest in data. They need to be able to
identify the problem to be able to tackle it effectively," said Jack
Wallace, Executive Member of the Coalition to Eradicate Viral
Hepatitis in Asia Pacific. "Governments can then develop co-ordinated
responses so that everyone is clear about what they need to do, who
is responsible and what outcomes they need to measure."

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus which affects as many as 170
million people, or 2.4% of the world's population.[2],[3] Despite
this, less than half of all countries monitor the chronic form of the
disease which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer and accounts for
1% of deaths worldwide.[1],[4]

"Whilst it is a positive step forward that hepatitis C is being
recognised at a governmental level, the report shows that there is
still much to be done to help countries address the disease
nationally," said Gaston Picchio, Global Hepatitis Disease Area
Leader, Janssen. "By working with the local hepatitis C communities,
Janssen aims to elevate the disease as a serious public health issue
and is seeking commitment from everyone involved in the care of these
patients to improve healthcare infrastructure and overall outcomes
for all those affected."

Different regions face specific challenges in addressing hepatitis
C. For example, Italy's hepatitis C problem is worst among people
over age 40. Whilst Australia has adopted a national hepatitis C
strategy, its experience shows that even the most comprehensive
policies face challenges in implementation. A lack of sufficient data
is one of many obstacles to understanding the true scale of infection
in Southeast Asia. And in Latin America, Brazil is leading the way in
promoting better access to data, diagnosis and treatment globally as
it acts early to establish guidelines and protocols to tackle
hepatitis C.

A copy of the EIU report is available at the following link:
http://www.janssen-emea.com/hpc/reports/hep-c-policy-approach

This report follows publication of 'The silent pandemic: Tackling
hepatitis C with policy innovation' in January 2013, which
investigated how systemic innovation could minimise the impact of
hepatitis C. Both reports were made possible as a result of financial
support from Janssen Pharmaceutical NV (Janssen).

About Janssen

Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson are
dedicated to addressing and solving the most important unmet medical
needs of our time, including oncology (e.g. multiple myeloma and
prostate cancer), immunology (e.g. psoriasis), neuroscience (e.g.
schizophrenia, dementia and pain), infectious disease (e.g. HIV/AIDS,
hepatitis C and tuberculosis), and cardiovascular and metabolic
diseases (e.g. diabetes). Driven by our commitment to patients, we
develop sustainable, integrated healthcare solutions by working
side-by-side with healthcare stakeholders, based on partnerships of
trust and transparency.

Janssen believes to effectively fight hepatitis C, a serious
commitment is required from all stakeholders to improve the
healthcare infrastructure across the continuum of care, increase
awareness, provide education and ensure access to effective treatment
for people living with hepatitis C. Janssen is working around the
world to be a positive catalyst in the fight towards eradication of
this deadly disease and serious public health problem.

More information can be found on http://www.janssen.com.

References:

1) Lozano R, Naghavi M, Foreman K, et al. Global and regional mortality from
235 causes of death for 20 age groups in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis for the
Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet. 2012;380:2095-128.
2) Ford N, Kirby C, Singh K, et al. Chronic hepatitis C treatment outcomes in
low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Bull World
Health Organ. 2012;90:540-50.
3) World Health Organization. Guidance on prevention of viral hepatitis B and C
in people who inject drugs. July 2012. Available at:
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/75357/1/9789241504041_eng.pdf?ua=1 Last
accessed June 2014.
4) World Health Organization. Global policy report on the prevention and control
of viral hepatitis in WHO member states. July 2013. Available at:
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/85397/1/9789241564632_eng.pdf?ua=1 Last
accessed June 2014.

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