Multicultural Must Read: Immigrant Health Headlines

Funded Hepatitis C treatments now available in Ontario

​From the Canadian Asian News a twice-monthly publication based in Mississauga 

Translated Summary: "The good news for Ontarians living with hepatitis C is that publicly funded hepatitis C treatments are now available in Ontario without any fibrosis restrictions. This was stated by Fozia Tanveer, Manager, Immigrant and Newcomer Hepatitis C Community Health Programming, while briefing the representatives of South Asian media at an annual dinner and talk in Mississauga. Immigrants and newcomers face unique confounding factors affecting their access to screening and care. A recent study in Quebec shows that it takes up to 10 years post-arrival before immigrants are diagnosed for hepatitis C. It is estimated that 19 out of every 1,000 immigrants to Canada have been infected with hepatitis C at some point in their lifetime, almost double the proportion of the general Canadian population. Some immigrants mistakenly believe that hepatitis C screening is part of the immigration process, and may live for years with un-diagnosed infection." (06/08/2018)

Often health issues that affect immigrant communities are absent from the headlines of mainstream media. Ethnic media can be a vital resource for both immigrants and public health outreach groups.