Hepatitis C prevalence rates at 3.6% in the PH compared with 0.8% in Canada

Hepatitis C prevalence rates at 3.6% in the PH compared with 0.8% in Canada

Community-wide media campaign launched to address hepatitis C among immigrants in Canada

TORONTO–A new Ontario-wide media campaign is launching to address hepatitis C among immigrant populations, including the Filipino community. It aims to raise awareness about hepatitis C and encourage people to get tested for the virus.

With the message “Hepatitis C. Get tested,” print ads and radio public service announcements direct people to find more information online at yourlanguage.hepcinfo.ca or tagalog.hepcinfo.ca. They also provide an information hotline number (1-800-668-2437) for people to speak with someone confidentially. In addition to the online information, there are also pamphlets that will be circulated for free through healthcare and service providers, and at community halls and events.

The resources and information are available in English, Simplified Chinese, Urdu, Punjabi and Tagalog to target the largest immigrant communities in Ontario and the organizations that serve them. The plan is to expand into more languages over the next year.

Many people can have hepatitis C and not know it

These new resources address the need for in-language and culturally appropriate resources. They are also meant to be accessible for busy new immigrants managing many priorities.

While adjusting and getting settled within Canada, health is often not considered until there’s an illness, says Flordeliz Dandal, Executive Director of Kababayan Community Centre Multicultural Services in the Toronto district of Parkdale. “They don’t have the time to engage with these health issues. Rather than going to information sessions, they would rather use their time to work. We had a study that showed that even when caregivers’ families were here, they continued to have three jobs.”

Hepatitis C is spread through blood-to-blood contact. According to the World Health Organization, prevalence rates for hepatitis C in the Philippines are estimated at 3.6 per cent, compared with 0.8 per cent in Canada.

Good immigrant health often declines over time

Studies show that even though immigrants arrive in better health than the general population in Canada, their health often declines over time.

Stress, poverty, stigma, and cultural and linguistic barriers are all factors that can stand in the way of seeking healthcare and health information.

“For newcomers, because their main priority is survival, work, a place to stay and their children, looking after their health takes a backseat. That is a big barrier to healthcare,” says Ben Pangilinan, family physician and Co-chair of the Filipino Canadian Medical Association.

(PRESS RELEASE)