Hope with the stroke of a pen
T
he Australian Government’s announcement of universal access for the new hepatitis C drugs was a welcome surprise to people waiting since mid-2015 for the treatments to be listed.
Hepatitis Australia invited Australians to share their hepatitis C experiences. Community News asked some people for their reaction to the news of funding for the new treatments.
With the stroke of a pen, the Health Minister brought hope to thousands of Australians that their health, and their lives, can turn around.
“Until the announcement, there had not been much to make me feel positive about the drugs getting listed,” said Dana.
Late last year when listing of the new drugs seemed uncertain,
“The news has changed the whole outlook in our household.
“When we talked about treatment, we’d be wondering if it would be better to do it one after the other so the boys don’t have to put up with two irritable parents all at once. Now, that’s not an issue any more!”
“Before, when we talked about treatment, we’d be wondering if it would be better to do it together so we’d both be irritable together, or to do it one after the other so the boys don’t have to put up with two irritable parents all at once. “Now, that’s not an issue any more. We only need to get ourselves organised and do it. My health is still good so I can take the time to plan it out. “I know there are people who don’t have the time to wait and I feel really glad for them that the treatments are going to be available soon.
For Elle, the Government’s announcement was a lovely early Christmas present. “I had been waiting 26 years for an effective treatment that wouldn’t affect my ability to function,” she said.
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Photo CC by Paul Vaarkamp [flickr.com/photos/paulvaarkamp]
“On the other hand, it’s also very sad to think about people who’d just missed out,” she added, referring to friends who had recently died because of hepatitis C.