THE Coledale clinic will take part in a world-first medical trial aimed at increasing access to treatment to a prevalent, but curable, virus.
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The clinic was one-of-four chosen nationwide to carry-out the trial which could lead to the reduction of hepatitis C rates in Aboriginal populations.
According to the latest data, Aboriginal people account for up to 10 per cent of hep C cases in Australia despite making up just 2-3 percent of the overall population.
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The trial simplifies the diagnosis of hep C to a finger-prick test at the GP.
The community-based "test and treat" intervention is aimed at reducing the rate of hep C among people attending Aboriginal health services.
Coledale GP Suruchi Amarasena said the virus was largely curable and hoped the trial would lead to an increased level of access to treatment.
"Antiviral medicines can cure more than 95 per cent of persons with hepatitis C infection, thereby reducing the risk of death from liver cancer and cirrhosis, but access to diagnosis and treatment is low," Dr Amarasena said.
"So what we are trying to do is to improve access and treatment through point of care testing.
"It's a simple test needing finger-pricked blood and the results will direct us towards treatment."
The doctor said it was important for the Coledale clinic to take part in the trial, which could change the way hep C is identified and treated, because the virus was prevalent and preventable.
"While Aboriginal people account for 2-3 per cent of the population, they constitute 8-10 per cent of all Australians living with hepatitis C infections," she said.
"There is a 10-15 per cent Aboriginal population in and around Coledale."
According to the Kirby Institute, about 19 per cent of people living with hep C are yet to be diagnosed.
Between 2013 and 2017, there was a 15 per cent increase in the notification rate of the virus in the Aboriginal population.