To mark World Hepatitis Day (July 28), the Blood Ties Four Directions Centre will host a carnival and barbecue on Friday.

The event will feature educational games as well as a hepatitis C testing clinic for more than 100 homeless and under-housed people in Whitehorse.

World Hepatitis Day is an annual event that brings the world together under a single theme to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change.

Hepatitis C is a growing problem in Canada with an estimated 1,000 people in the Yukon and 250,000 Canadians living with the virus, the centge said.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, an estimated 242,500 people are infected with hepatitis C in Canada, with 21 per cent not knowing it.

“For its population size, Yukon has a higher than expected number of hepatitis C cases,” the centre said.

“The disease can take many years to progress without causing noticeable symptoms.”

Blood Ties recommends a one-time test for anyone born between 1945 and 1975 and for anyone with risk factors.

There are now new antiviral therapies that have high cure rates and minimal side effects.

The first step to accessing treatment is to get tested. Testing is available, accessible, and free in all Yukon communities at local health centres and at the Kwanlin Dun Health Centre in Whitehorse.

Blood Ties is a non-profit organization with a mission to eliminate barriers and create opportunities for people to have equal access to health and wellness. 

Friday’s barbecue will go from noon to 2 p.m. at the centre’s premises at 405 Ogilvie St.