08 May 2024
Motivate C campaign graphic with the word 'cured' stamped over a happy person.
 

Potentially thousands of people in South Western Sydney are living with hepatitis C, a disease which is curable, yet they are unaware of the treatment. Motivate C is a project which offers a cash reward to encourage people affected by hepatitis C to seek treatment from community providers such as their GP.

There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C. However, treatment for hepatitis C is now 95 per cent successful.

 

How common is hepatitis C in South Western Sydney?

In 2020, 0.83 per cent of people in South Western Sydney had hepatitis C, with Campbelltown and Fairfield having the highest rates of disease at 1.18 per cent and 1.01 per cent respectively.

Of that 0.83 per cent – or an estimated 7,669 people – just 42.1 per cent were receiving treatment. 

 

How does the Motivate C study work?

In a bid to support an Australia-wide initiative to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030, SWSPHN is promoting Motivate C, a Sydney University project which aims to find out if a cash reward will encourage those affected to seek treatment from community providers such as their GP.

The study – known as the Methodical evaluation and Optimisation of Targeted IncentiVes for Accessing Treatment of Early-stage hepatitis C (Motivate C) – is offering payments of up to $1,000 (amount decided by computer algorithm) to participants who commence hepatitis C treatment.

It doesn’t matter if you are newly diagnosed or have had hepatitis C for years. The only thing which would prevent you taking part in the study is if you had already started treatment.

 

About hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by a virus which is usually transmitted when blood from an infected person enters the bloodstream of another, either from sharing needles or through sexual activity.

Symptoms can include aches, pain and fever; fatigue; nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; abdominal pain; jaundice (yellow skin and eyes); mood swings, anxiety and depression.

Most people with hepatitis C don’t experience any symptoms until their liver is irreparably damaged, which can take years.

You are at greater risk of contracting hepatitis C if you:

  • received blood or blood products before screening improved in 1993
  • spent a long time on dialysis
  • have been infected with HIV.

 

Why is treatment important?

Treatment of hepatitis C is important because it helps stop liver damage and might prevent liver cancer.

Current medicines to treat hepatitis C are safe, effective, easy to take with as little as one tablet a day. Medication is available at low cost for people who have a Medicare card because they are subsidised by the Australian government.

Current medicines are very different from older treatments which often resulted in side effects.

 

What are the benefits of taking part in the study?

As well as the financial incentive, participants receive the help of a “navigator” to connect them to testing and treatment.

The obvious benefit is they will be cured of their hepatitis C infection.

The project aims to encourage people to get tested, treated and cured of hepatitis C.

 

Register for the Motivate C Project

Visit the Motivate C Project website to learn more about eligibility and what to expect. If you are unsure whether you have hepatitis C or not, speak to your GP.

Find out more about Motivate C