Timebomb (360G-Wellcome-078816_Z_05_Z)

The main objective of this project is to examine the many cultural, social and bioscientific issues around hepatitis C and its treatment in the UK and thereby raise awareness. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is highly infectious, little understood, and largely unheard of. Some 9 out of 10 of the 500,000 people infected in the UK remain undiagnosed. If nothing is done, the next 10 years will see an epidemic of people turning up in A & E with end-stage liver disease. It has been rightly called 'the viral time-bomb'. The project is a documentary for the general public structured around the strong personal narrative of the year-long journey through treatment of one young woman, Gemma Peppe, and examines amongst other things: The increasing prejudice against pharmaceutical products and in favour of untested alternative therapies The difficult decision to undertake the treatment (it has many side-effects and only a 50% chance of success) Other reasons why only 3,000 patients a year get treatment in the UK compared with 10-20,000 in comparable European countries Why so many people of South Asian origin are being diagnosed too late and dying unnecessarily as a result The enormous stigmatisation of HCV and consequent discrimination in healthcare, employment, in the social arena and even in the law courts The lack of political will to address the issue The film features other patients, clinicians, politicians, alternative therapists and patient advocates. Underlying everything is the question: will Gemma's treatment work?