Hepatitis C campaign gaining traction

Live free of hepatitis C, the campaign to promote the new hepatitis C cure among culturally diverse communities, is gaining momentum, according to the MHAHS.

Launched in July to coincide with World Hepatitis Day, the campaign aims to raise awareness of hepatitis C testing and treatment and has attracted significant interest among Arabic-speaking, Chinese-speaking and Vietnamese communities.

The campaign encompasses distribution of multilingual posters, wallet cards, videos, and targeted media campaigns.  

The campaign has gained support from Michael Ninburg, President of World Hepatitis Alliance, at the 11th Viral Hepatitis Conference in Adelaide recently who said the campaign "was a step in the right direction".

“Working together with diverse communities is vital to eliminating viral hepatitis. That includes working with communities that remain unware of viral hepatitis. It is vital to get the word out about the risks associated with viral hepatitis so people can get tested and access treatment for hepatitis B or cure for hepatitis C,” Mr Ninburg said.

MHAHS manager, Barbara Luisi,  said only a few weeks in, Live free of hepatitis C campaign is already exceeding our expectations.

“We have worked in partnership with diverse community organisations, health care service providers, ethnic media outlets and community leaders to deliver culturally appropriate activities – and the results speak for themselves.”

The campaign has distributed thousands of hepatitis C print resources, reached more than 46 thousand people online and generated considerable ethnic media coverage, suggesting growing community support.

"The promotions have not only increased people’s awareness of hepatitis C testing and treatment, but have also drawn people to the MHAHS website where they can access other viral hepatitis information,”Ms Luisi said.

11th Viral Hepatitis Conference update:

The MHAHS presented a highly successful paper and 2 posters at the Adelaide conference. Check out two video posters from the conference showcasing how our allies work with people from culturally diverse communities:

•  Anup Pereira, Hepatitis ACT  


“We Belong”- A Peer Based Review On Extension, Inclusion And Appropriateness Of Health Care In The Multicultural Communities, and

•    Zhihong Gu, Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland


Short And Simple Messages Are Not Enough – Developing A Resource For People Living With Chronic Hepatitis B From Non-English Speaking Backgrounds.