Residents will have access to dried blood spot testing for hepatitis C, HIV, and syphilis to honour World Hepatitis Day in the city.
Fort St John city council declared July 28 as World Hepatitis Day after a presentation from three local organizations during their July 14 regular council meeting. City council voted unanimously in support of the mayor declaring the day.
In a statement for My Peace Region Now, Mayor Lilia Hansen said she hopes her proclamation will encourage residents to get tested.
“On World Hepatitis Day, we raise awareness to break down the barriers of stigma, misinformation, and silence. With over 300 million people living with hepatitis and 1.3 million lives lost each year, we must act,” the mayor said, referencing global statistics.
“Testing, treatment, and education save lives, and together, we can eliminate hepatitis. Let’s get the facts, take action, and protect our community.”
Positive Living North, the Fort St John Women’s Resource Society, and the Fort St John Literacy Society coordinated on the presentation in City Hall, and the upcoming event at the Healing Place.
Jufil Boquecosa, Positive Living North’s community health educator in the city, said hepatitis is sub-divided into several illnesses, but all of them negatively impact the liver – hepatitis B and C increase the risk of cancer in the organ.
According to Northern Health, hepatitis C is the most common in the region with 84 new cases in 2023 – 12 of which were in the northeast pocket.
“What we know so far is that the transmission across all these types and forms of hepatitis – you have A, B, C, D, and E … The virus can be transmitted through injection, for example sharing of needles when people use drugs,” said Boquecosa.
Sharing needles is a major concern for the city’s women’s resource society, according to program manager Denay Fantin.
“Use a clean and new harm reduction (kits) every time,” said Fantin, who also warned of the risk of transmitting hepatitis through sexual activity – she reminded residents the women’s resource society has harm reduction kits and free condoms.
Testing will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday – alongside two hepatitis-related educational workshops hosted by Boquecosa at 10 and 2:30. It will be free, and no ID is required to enter, but the clinic will suggest leaving a phone number in case the nurse needs to follow up.
“We want for this event to be as accessible as possible, and barrier-free, so the testing is free, confidential, and open to everyone. No income verification is required,” said Fantin – typically, she said, the women’s resource society’s services are exclusively for low-income residents.
After the dried blood test is conducted, the tests will go to a nurse practitioner in Prince George and when she gets the results, she will call everyone who tested positive.
“No news is good news, but she will contact (anyone) if there is a phone number provided,” explained Fantin – people without access to a phone should be able to plan with staff.
