Hepatitis is a major public health issue in Australia. It remains the top cancer killer in the nation. Every year, almost 1,000 Australians die from viral hepatitis. In turn, the federal government has fired its own shot by releasing a bold national strategy to eradicate this health scourge by the end of this decade. Hepatitis Australia is calling for enhanced efforts to meet this target, especially in vulnerable migrant communities that are disproportionately affected.
According to Lucy Clynes, CEO of Hepatitis Australia, knowing who is most at risk and focusing efforts on those populations is key. She notes that nearly half of those living with viral hepatitis are either undiagnosed or not receiving the necessary care and treatment.
“People can have the infection and it can be causing damage to the liver, but they’re completely unaware of that, so that’s why it’s really crucial that we get the message out about who should be screened and tested.”
With almost 300,000 people living with either Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C in Australia, routine testing is key. With the silent progression of these viruses, this is critical. He points out that Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C often go asymptomatic. Symptoms often do not show until after significant liver injury has occurred.
The human cost is staggering. An overwhelming 70 percent of people diagnosed with Hepatitis B were born abroad, many from countries in Southeast Asia where they experience elevated infection rates. For these reasons, mother-to-child transmission of Hepatitis B is particularly prevalent in these regions. This is a worrying trend that exacerbates incidence rates in migrant communities.
Over half (56 percent) of those who are living with viral hepatitis speak a language other than English in their household. This statistic highlights the importance of providing linguistically and culturally appropriate education and assistance to these groups. According to Clynes, “we know migrant communities are disproportionately impacted by viral hepatitis – especially Hepatitis B. We need to be publishing resources in the top languages of our communities. It’s important that we’re doing this in culturally competent ways that are responsive to the needs of migrant populations.
Mei Mak, one of the many women living with Hepatitis B, illustrated her experience with stigma that comes with a diagnosis. She comes back every six months now for regular monitoring, showing her dedication to taking control of her health despite the odds stacked against her.
“It is important for people living with hepatitis liver disease to be brave and be strong and to be curious, to find out more about their liver health and to seek help when there are no symptoms we’re fine,” Mak said.
“She found out that my viral load had increased dramatically and so she alerted me and said, ‘Mei, I’m going to send you to the hospital… I started to like be a bit scared, a bit concerned, like oh,’” she recounted.
