Hepatitis B – the neglected epidemic

Close to 234,000 Australians live with chronic hepatitis B—one of the leading causes of liver cancer—and almost four out of ten don’t know they have the condition. It is even more alarming in South Australia, where six out of ten are not diagnosed1.

Hepatitis B diagnosis rate in Australia remains stagnant at around 63 per cent from 2015 to 2017, and our treatment rate of 8.3 per cent falls far short of the recommended 20 per cent of people with chronic hepatitis B estimated to need treatment. In this respect too, South Australia lags with a treatment uptake of only 5.7 per cent—and only 16 per cent of those with chronic hepatitis B being monitored, well below the national average of 20.2  per cent2.

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Hepatitis B Community Education Projects in South Australia

Hepatitis B community education projects are rolling out around Australia with four in full swing in South Australia.

First off the rank in SA was a project with the Filipino community which Hepatitis SA is carrying out in partnership with the Filipino Settlement Coordinating Council of South Australia (FSCCSA).

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Hepatitis SA Educators Make It Simple as ABC

One of the most common misconceptions about hepatitis B and C is that they are transmitted through saliva and sharing food. One of the most commonly asked questions is whether hepatitis is the same as HIV. And many people mistakenly think there is a vaccination for hepatitis C.

These are just some of the many issues Hepatitis SA educators help to clarify in their information and training sessions.

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