(Adnkronos) - Società scientifiche, associazioni pazienti e Istituzioni si sono riunite a Roma, in occasione dell’evento “Epatite C: Obiettivo eliminazione, il momento è adesso. Strategie e modelli organizzativi per riscrivere la storia delle epatiti virali” promosso da Gilead Sciences, per sottoscrivere il “Patto per l’eliminazione dell’Epatite C”. In questa occasione, le realtà coinvolte si sono appellate al governo affinchè l’attuale screening gratuito venga non solo prorogato ma anche ampliato ad una più vasta platea di persone.
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00:00The C-Hepatitis event was held in Rome, the goal is elimination, the time is now.
00:10Organizational strategies and models to rewrite the history of viral hepatitis,
00:14promoted by Gilead Sciences, which has seen the participation of institutions,
00:18scientific societies and patient associations.
00:21At the center of the meeting, the need to extend the current free screening program for Hepatitis C.
00:27Since 2020, a national screening program has been launched for Hepatitis C,
00:34which is intended for three target populations.
00:37For people born from 1969 to 1989,
00:42for people who access public services for employment,
00:47and for people detained in prison.
00:49This program has been financed with more than 70 million euros.
00:54Since its launch, the screening program has reached about 2 million people,
00:59but only 11% of the general population between the ages of 35 and 55.
01:04The data released by the Ministry of Health indicate that the screening,
01:10despite its difficulties, managed to track more than 10,000 people.
01:16The latest data even speak of 13,000 people in Italy
01:21who have found the positive side of the screening.
01:24So today they know they have Hepatitis C, today they can be cured.
01:2950% of these people have already started treatment.
01:33So it is certainly a success that has to push us to continue on this path.
01:39From the Association Hepatitis and AIDS comes a strong appeal to the government.
01:43What we think is necessary to transform this screening from experimental to structural.
01:50On the other hand, the aim of the WHO is the elimination by 2030.
01:56So we ask ourselves why every year we have to sweat seven shirts
02:02to have an extension, just like this year.
02:07Because the screening ends on December 31st
02:10and the government has just refused to approve a zero-cost amendment
02:17on the extension of the band to do the screening and on the extension.
02:23An appeal also shared by Senator Elena Piero.
02:27The goal is to eradicate Hepatitis C by 2030, it must be perennial.
02:33We must not let it slip away.
02:35For this reason, we must try to do everything necessary
02:38to extend the use of funds from which there have been savings
02:42on the screening campaign for those who have already been tested.
02:46But if that is not enough, we must add new ones
02:50and we must expand the range of subjects to which this screening is addressed,
02:54expanding the age range.
02:56Only in this way can we achieve this very important goal.