TOPIC:

Hello Everybody,

this morning I read an article written 4 years ago in my country which was informing the HCV patients that "soon" they will have access to a new treatment (SOF+DAC).
Today, 4 years later, the truth is that only the sickest people (F3+F4) have access to treatment, while the other patients (F0-F2) must wait .... hoping that "soon" they will get the medication.

This reminded me a fact that happened often in my country during communist times: when someone wanted to buy a car (a normal car, produced in the country) in the '80s, the regular waiting time to actually get the car was 5 years. More surprising is that people, even though a little bit upset, accepted this "short waiting time" of 5 years as there was no other option available. Waiting to get a new car was a common practice and many people I knew were quite optimistic during the waiting times saying that "I paid the advance money and soon I will get my car".
After the fall of communism something bad happened: people lost the money they paid for the cars and never got the car.

You might ask yourself what is the connection of this story with HCV?

If you have HCV, most probably the following happens already to you:
- your goal is to be healthy.
- unless you are sick enough (in many countries there is this F3-F4 condition to get the treatment), your access to medication is not possible via the healthcare system.
- you are constantly being told that there exist new and efficient medication and that "soon" you will be treated.
- you hear or read about people who already got cured and this makes you confident that there is a chance to get treated.
- the major thing unknown to you is WHEN you will get treated and how your liver will be by the time you will get treated.

In the communism story from above, consider that:
- the advance money paid to get the car would be your trust/hope that you will be healthy again (as there exist new and efficient medication, right?)
- the car would be you living a life free of HCV
- not getting the car after having paid the money would be losing your health (and life) waiting to get treated "soon"...
and ask yourself the question: What is in fact "soon"? e.g. "soon" I will get treated....

By now you've heard about generic HCV drugs thus you may already think that "soon" can be in fact "NOW".
Treat your HCV now, not soon...

Cheers,
RHF

Interesting analogy Rohcvfighter, why wait when you can have the car right now and avoid all risks?

I like how you spell things out RHF. It is incredible to me how powerful stigma is that stops people even finding out, let alone getting cured when they need it- and everyone needs cured.
This butterfly campaign really needs to take fire in the world, it is going to- it makes people walk towards the message, not step back. Here on our Hep C Action page we have 3 versions of the poster which anyone can just print out, and put on a noticeboard; or send to decision makers, it is a free public awareness campaign that will work in public transport, spaces, billboards etc.
Please share! This is the FixhepC logo version- the original! There is also one with blank space for logo and one with the No Hep logo.
Poster: static1.squarespace.com/static/591fb1cfb...ld_tired_FixHepC.pdf
website for other versions: www.seedthechange.nz/hepc-action

Really great looking poster, awesome work as usual Hazel