Scheme to combat hepatitis C in Spain

Projects have been launched for World Hepatitis Day on July 28th in Cantabria and Valencia by the World Health Organisation to raise awareness of the importance of hepatitis C checks.

A study by Javier García-Samaniego, head of hepatology at HU La Paz,estimates that between 50,000 and 70,000 people are living with the disease unknowingly.

The scheme is designed to spread the message for people to get screened for the disease, which involves only a blood test.

The disease, which if caught early, is completely curable, and early screening can prevent a host of related illnesses.

Last year in Spain, 130,000 people were treated using localised antibiotics.Carmelo Gomez has become a face for the campaign after he found out he had the disease during a blood donation.

He explains that having the disease is like a “movie that started badly, but it’s going to end well because the end of the history of hepatitis C is in our hands”.