On Thursday, May 7th 2026, CanHepC joined Action Hepatitis Canada, CanHepB, the HIV Legal and CATIE to mark the 5th annual Canadian Viral Hepatitis Elimination Day in Ottawa.
Canada committed to the World Health Organization’s targets for viral hepatitis elimination, but we are falling behind. CanHepC co-director Dr Jordan Feld said in the press conference regarding Hepatitis C Elimination:
''This is a marathon; it’s definitely not a sprint. Any runner will tell you that it is the last few miles or a marathon that are the hardest, but also the most important. We are here today to remind Canadians and particularly our governments at the federal, provincial, territorial and even the municipal levels that we have come a long way in this race, and it’s not time to slow down; it’s time to redouble our efforts. These last few miles will be the hardest of the race, but if we don’t stay committed, we will lose all the progress that we’ve made.''
Watch the full press release here: Health Advocates Call on Federal Govt to Aid Hepatitis Prevention - Headline Politics - CPAC.ca
To mark this day, Action Hepatitis Canada has released their report: “Rethinking Viral Hepatitis Prevention: Confronting Systems That Create Risk,” which highlights the haps in HCV Elimination in Canada. Though many provinces have made significant progress in removing barriers to HCV treatment, others are making policy decisions that undermine these efforts.
This report highlights that HCV transmission is predictable: ~85% of new infections occur through sharing or reuse of drug-use equipment. Policy decisions in this area directly impact the Canadians most affected by HCV. They make 6 key policy recommendations:
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Strengthen and protect community-led prevention infrastructure through sustained federal partnerships.
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Ensure consistent access to harm reduction supplies and prevention services across provincial and territorial systems.
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Align testing and treatment scale-up with prevention infrastructure in high-transmission environments
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Reform drug policies that produce preventable HCV risk.
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Strengthen viral hepatitis prevention and care within carceral settings and during transition back to community.
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Expand HBV vaccination through universal birth-dose programs and adult catch-up access.
Read Action Hepatitis Canada’s full report and recommendations here.
CanHepC endorses these recommendations and we call on Canadian governments to act now as we continue the marathon of HCV Elimination. With coordinated, evidence-informed action, Canada can still eliminate viral hepatitis.
