During the last year, our Coalition identified the need to assess the successes and gaps in provincial, territorial and federal strategies as a step towards a fully funded, coordinated national approach to address hepatitis B and C. The Coalition developed a Report Card which looks at each of the 6 national Asks in detail and assesses the strategies implemented by each province and territory as well as the federal government. On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day 2011, we submitted the 2011 Hepatitis Strategy Report Card along with an executive summary to all Premiers and Health Ministers and well as the Prime Minster of Canada and his Health Minister. These documents were also submitted to the media along with a press release which can be viewed here.
For each of the 6 Asks, a number of ‘issues’ were developed, each accompanied by a series of expectations for how the Coalition defines success in addressing the issue. Further, for each expectation, a measurement was identified to indicate whether the expectation is being met. The activities of each province and territory, as well as the federal government, were explored and documented over a period of approximately five months. Input was sought from key stakeholders in each region, including health authorities, government officials, and community organizations. The data gathered reinforces our belief that a coordinated national strategy is more urgent than ever.
We are asking our governments to take a leadership role in creating a national strategy that by 2012 will address the issues and gaps identified in the 2011 Hepatitis Strategy Report Card as contributing to the suffering of so many Canadians. We look forward to working towards this end with our elected representatives.
In acknowledging World Hepatitis Day (WHD), July 28, members of the Canadian Coalition of Organizations Responding to Hepatitis B and C reflect the call by the World Hepatitis Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO) for coordinated efforts in all countries to ensure that viral hepatitis prevention, treatment and support is addressed.