People with hepatitis C who shared their stories have called for new treatments to be made available. They were speaking at the launch of the new book, Together We Can: See Our Future, at Parliament House, Canberra.

The book, published by Hepatitis Australia captures the life-changing experiences of Australians affected by hepatitis C, the stigma that surrounds the illness, and it highlight the need for improved access to treatment.

Twenty-nine Australians share their stories putting human faces to a chronic disease that affects over 230,000 people in this country.

Speaking at the breakfast briefing for Federal Parliamentarians, Hepatitis Australia CEO, Helen Tyrell, said only one per cent of Australians with hepatitis C receive treatment each year while over 600 will lose their lives to hepatitis C-related liver disease in the same period.

She said with the new generation of more effective, faster acting and safer hepatitis C therapies, it is possible in our lifetime, to turn hepatitis C into a rare disease.

Full media release
http://www.hepatitisaustralia.com/newsarticles/australians-confront-hep-c-stigma-in-pursuit-of-a-cure/15/6/2015

View the book
http://issuu.com/hepatitisaustralia/docs/together_we_can_-_pdf_for_issuu

View the launch video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfdnZG8uc0U