Hcv Among Indigenous People In Canada

Background: prevalence of HCV among Indigenous peoples in Canada

Studies suggest that Indigenous peoples in Canada experience a disproportionate burden of HCV in comparison to the general population. For example, the A-track pilot study found a self-reported lifetime HCV seropositivity of 46.1% among a cohort of Indigenous peoples in Regina [13]. Similarly, a 2010 summary of data from three national surveillance systems in Canada reported that the rate of HCV was almost five times higher among Indigenous peoples compared to the non-Indigenous population [5]. These results were further echoed in a 1999-2004 study in six health regions in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick, where 15.2% of the incident cases of HCV

Lastly, illustrating the intersection between Indigeneity, gender and HCV, the I-Track Phase 3 study found that the prevalence of HCV in the Indigenous female population (44.5%) was almost double that of the non-Indigenous female population (24.7%) [16]. Combined, these studies suggest the presence of numerous barriers along the continuum of HCV prevention, care and support services for Indigenous peoples. Moreover, these findings demonstrate the urgent need for a better understanding of Indigenous peoples’ experiences within the HCV care cascade in order to inform the development of more culturally appropriate and Indigenous-specific HCV

For instance, Craib et al. (2009) reported that among those Indigenous study participants who were experiencing unstable housing and injecting drugs, the prevalence of HCV was 51.9% [10]. Furthermore, the prevalence of HCV in this study was 81.2% in those Indigenous participants who reported having been previously incarcerated [10]. Homelessness has also been significantly associated with transition to injection drug use in young, urban Indigenous people, putting them at an increased risk for HCV acquisition [8]. Moreover, young Indigenous people who inject drugs are more likely to have been incarcerated, to struggle with mental health issues and to have been denied shelter because of their drug use [8]. Finally, a high prevalence (25% to 40%) and over-representation of Indigenous peoples with HCV has been documented among populations who are incarcerated in Canada