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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Robert Derulo, Representative of Hepatitis C Mentor and Support Group
5:50:53
ยท
146 sec
Robert Derulo, representing the Hepatitis C Mentor and Support Group, testified about the critical need for increased education, support, and funding for hepatitis C prevention and treatment in New York City. He emphasized the elusive nature of the disease and the importance of early detection and treatment.
- Highlighted the lack of awareness about hepatitis C and its cure among the general population and some healthcare providers
- Called for increased funding for peer navigation, harm reduction, and syringe service programs
- Stressed the importance of reducing missed opportunities for screening and diagnosis in emergency rooms and hospitals
- Advocated for New York City to become the first city to eliminate hepatitis C, setting a model for the entire country
Robert Derulo
5:50:53
Thank you.
5:50:54
More hepatitis c if that's alright.
5:50:57
Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.
5:50:59
I wanna thank the council members for supporting the hepatitis community in the past.
5:51:03
My name is Robert Derulo, a representative of the hepatitis C mentor and support group.
5:51:08
I have been working for over ten years on the ground in underserved communities.
5:51:11
I work closely with the founder and director, Ronnie Marks.
5:51:15
Together we provide essential education and supportive patient mentoring services through partnerships with syringe service programs, overdose prevention centers, clinics, hospitals, and any other community based organization in need of our services.
5:51:28
The critical population we serve includes substance use disorder, who people with substance use disorder, those co infected with HIV, the LGBTQ community, youth, young adults, baby boomers, and anyone else affected by hepatitis C.
5:51:42
So the issue is hepatitis C is an elusive disease.
5:51:45
You can ask 10 friends or family members what hepatitis c is and a handful of them are probably gonna get it wrong.
5:51:50
Right?
5:51:51
It's hiding in the shadows with little or no symptoms growing within destroying arguably the most function heavy organ in the body which is the liver.
5:52:00
Often when people find out find out about it, it could be too late as hepatitis c is also one of the leading causes for liver cancer.
5:52:07
There are close to a hundred thousand people diagnosed with hep c in New York City currently and thousands more undiagnosed, unaware, and uneducated about it.
5:52:16
The irony is hepatitis c has a cure as you heard earlier.
5:52:19
I had a patient once tell me that they were living with hepatitis c for years before they even learned about there being a cure, and they've been to to their primary care within that time.
5:52:29
So again, I say the scientists, the biologists, the virologists, they did their job.
5:52:33
They they found the cure.
5:52:35
Curing people is now up to us.
5:52:37
As an educator in the field and someone who has witnessed a lack of knowledge in communities, I can tell you firsthand what an impact this virus has on the lives of those infected those affected.
5:52:48
We need increased education and supportive services for hepatitis b and c and increased funding for peer navigation, harm reduction, syringe service programs, and it's critical that we reduce missed opportunities to screen and diagnose patients who seek care in emergency rooms and hospitals, as well as educating providers and staff on the stigma faced by people affected with hepatitis c.
5:53:10
I hope with your support we can provide a model for the entire country with New York City being the first city to eliminate hepatitis c.
5:53:18
Thank you so much counsel.