Posted: 8-Sep-2006 << BACK
Warning on the silent killer
Local resident and helpline manager Samantha May of the Hepatitis C Trust will be trying to raise awareness of hepatitis C, with a stall at Broadway Market, Hackney on 23 September from 9am til 4pm. The aim is to inform people about the risks of the virus, a serious and potentially life threatening condition thought to affect over 500,000 people. However, only 50,000 have been so far been diagnosed because of a lack of awareness by both the public and the medical profession. There is no vaccine for the liver disease.
Samantha is also raising funds for the awareness campaign by trekking to Nepal. She will be taking a team of ten people, all of whom are living with or affected by hepatitis C, over 100km through the foothills of the Himalayas for eight days in October. For more information on Hepatitis C please visit the Trusts website on www.hepctrust.org.uk If you would like to help raise funds for the awareness campaign you can do so by donating on Sam's JustGiving webpage www.justgiving.com/nepalsam
Hepatitis C factfile
Hepatitis C, dubbed the silent epidemic, is a blood borne virus that causes potentially life threatening liver disease. There are often no symptoms until serious problems, like cirrhosis, develop. It is one of the main causes for liver transplant in the UK, but with only 600 livers donated each year, demand outstrips supply. With early diagnosis, lifestyle changes and treatment, which is successful in half of cases, it is possible to stop and even reverse liver damage and prevent further spread of the virus.There is no vaccine, so there is a risk of virus spreading. The Hepatitis C Trust is the only UK charity raising awareness and providing support to those affected. It also campaigns for better services for those living with the illness.
Hackney Today 8th Sept 2006
