TOPIC: Such is the situation of Hep C sufferers in Brazil right now

Translated to English from a Brazilian Hep C - FB group. The writer is a well known doctor and advocate of Hep C who has helped many patients with information on how to get medication either through the Public Health System (that is at present only treating F3 and F4) or through appealing against Private Health Plans. He is though still suspicious of Generic treatment!

" I see it with extreme worry that we are already in June and we haven't finalized the purchase of new medications for Hep C treatment yet. The purchase of 30.000 treatments made in June of last year has already been consumed and if a new purchase is not contracted immediately, in order to arrive by the end of August, there won't be medication to distribute among the states in October.

Even worse still is IF the promise of the purchase of 45.000 treatments is not kept by the Minister of Health and that if they buy less than promised, there will be a shortage of treatments in 2017, and many with fibrosis F3 and even with cirrhosis and those with liver transplants will be - in their majority without treatment.

Let's keep following up and letting everyone know and in case the purchase is not made, or made smaller than 45.000 treatments promised, each and every infected citizen will have to take care of their own health, their own life and in order to be contemplated with the medication will have to appeal to the Justice as its ultimate and only way. The appeals must be individual since if collective they will be denied in second stance.

It is lamentable, but the Justice Tribunal will become again, the best hospital in Brazil, as it used to happen years ago with peg interferon."

ps: Current price for Brazilian government is US$ 6.400 for a 12 weeks tx (Gilead's agreement) and US$ 84.000 for Private Health Insurance companies.

That is so messed up Meg. It is absolutely heartbreaking. The same thing happened here last year. The (money for the) medicine ran out and people, including me, ended up waiting another six months to see a specialist.

Hi Meg thanks for the post about the concerning state of affairs in Brazil, friggin politics, greed and power rearing its ugly head yet again. Its sickening.

As if they don't have enough to worry about over there, what with that virus that affects babies as well, poor things.

Greed is the root of all evil, & it seems people in high places suffer from this in even larger amounts than the poor HCV sufferers.
x

That's 45,000 12 week treatments, but many of their patients need 24 weeks of treatment.

P.

Exactly Price. That 24 weeks tx factor - reduces the number of "probable" treated patients. I say "Probable" because the 45.000 txs haven't even been bought yet!

Yes CJ as if we don't have enough problems to deal with in this country! There are epidemics of Dengue fever, Zika virus and untreated you name it/ So It is a huge mess and totally heartbreaking indeed Fitz. I see people on Hep C forums having no idea how to get treated while getting sicker every day. Right Tina Hill - politicians in this country (with very very few exceptions) totally ignore the reality in which we live!

I hope that with my results (SVR) and someone else's SVR though, who I know is on Darvoni at present moment - people and specially Hep C advocates in Brazil who genuinely care about Hep C sufferers will start trusting generic DAA and so we can change the status quo!

Hi Meg,

Thanks for the update. What an unbelievably frustrating state of affairs and while this continues Brazilians will continue to die through lack of access to available treatment.

Love your positive thoughts Meg on using your own results to try to generate a focus on generics. As we all know from this experience, one person can make a difference.