Hepatitis SA is stepping up efforts to raise awareness about hepatitis B and hepatitis C, in regional South Australia.
The SA component of the national HepLink program is connecting with regional services to provide hepatitis B education and support. Meanwhile the education and harm reduction programs, together with the South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services (SANDAS), are running a series of Essential Skills workshops for regional health professionals to increase knowledge of blood-borne virus prevention and build practical skills in responding to at-risk clients.
The full-day workshops explore types, effects, and responses to different drugs, practical harm reduction approaches and the impacts of stigma and discrimination. Participants are given up-to-date information on blood safety practices and prevention of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
Funded by Country SA Primary Health Network, two Essential Skills workshops were delivered in October-November last year at Murray Bridge and Berri, and two more are scheduled for the coming months to be held in Port Augusta and Mount Gambier.
Hepatitis SA Education Coordinator and workshop co-facilitator, Jenny Grant, said there was strong engagement in Murry Bridge and Berri from AOD workers, Aboriginal Health Workers, mental health clinicians, counsellors and youth workers.
“Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive,” she said. “Many described the sessions as engaging and informative, and said they appreciated the opportunity to connect with peers and deepen their understanding of how stigma and systemic barriers affect people who use alcohol and other drugs.”
As the new hepatitis C cure reaches more Australians and hepatitis C prevalence decreases, focus is shifting to the other leading cause of liver cancer: hepatitis B, which is more prevalent in Aboriginal communities, and immigrant communities from regions of higher prevalence such as East and Southeast Asia, the Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa.
Hepatitis SA’s HepLink education officer, Yingbin Xu, has reached out to several services in regional SA to offer hepatitis B education and support services. “So far, we have provided information and education to the Aboriginal community at Point Pearce and have linked up with the Australian Migrant Resource Centre (AMRC) in Whyalla,” she said.
“We hope to reach more communities around the Eyre Peninsula, and are also getting in touch with services in Murray Bridge, Naracoorte and Bordertown.”
Jenny said both sets of workshops provide valuable opportunities for regional health workers to build confidence in supporting clients and communities, while fostering stronger connections across regional public health and community services.
For more information on hepatitis B education workshops: For more information or to register for future Essential Skills workshops, visit the SANDAS events page.
Last updated 28 February 2026
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