EUROPE/ITALY - 200 million carriers of hepatitis C virus in the world: a petition for a World Day and better prevention

Rome (Fides Service) - On October 1st a delegation of the European Liver Patient Association presented the European Commissioner for health Markos Kyprianou with a petition to establish a a World Day for Hepatitis C.
It is estimated that in the world there are 200 million carriers of the hepatitis C virus and of these almost 2 million in Italy alone. In Italy only 20% of the people with hepatitis C virus are aware of it and only 20,000 to 30,000 of the patients are receiving treatment, the rest are “underground” cases. In brief, only one out of five Italians knows he or she is infected.
The petition calls for a World Day and also for better prevention, equal access to anonymous tests and therapy, more funds for research and social guarantees for liver patients. Dozens of thousands of signers are patients, family members, citizens of Belgium, Gt Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Egypt, Portugal, Poland, Rumania, Spain, Switzerland.
EPAC Association for Education, Prevention, Research on hepatitis C virus, with years of experience and a member of the European Liver Patient Association presented the Italian Minister of Health with a copy of the petition signed by 2000 Italians in only a few hours.
(AP) (4/10/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe: 22; Parole: 244)