By conservative estimates, hepatitis C (HCV) affects some 250,000–300,000 people in Canada. A chronic illness that causes liver failure, liver cancer and other serious health concerns, hepatitis C already weighs heavily on the health care system. Its public health and economic impact is expected to double in only a few years.
Today, over 90 percent of HCV transmission is linked to drug injection, and federal and provincial responses to the problem have been inconsistent and inadequate. This report looks at current HCV-related policy and programs in Canada and outlines steps that should be taken to prevent a potential explosion of HCV.