Australasian Viral Hepatitis Elimination Conference HBV

A report back on Marrianne Blacks Hepatitis B and the CALD community: A unique community based nursing model of care utilising Bi-Lingual community health workers.

Majority of CALD communities in Australia originate from areas with high prevalence of Hep B and majority of them are completely unaware of their Hep B status until their arrival in Australia where the diagnosis is made. After the diagnosis most of them are clueless what it to is and what it means their lives. When they are under perception that it is acquired through sex it can lead to a marriage breakdown, leaving them alienated by families and friends. This is compounded by the failure of GP’s to explain adequately to patients about the disease process, what it means to them, long-term plan management and surveillance that is required when they have the virus. 

A report back on Dr Anne Balcomb’s session: Where are all the undiagnosed HCV cases? Delivered at the Treating Hepatitis C in General Practice Forum.

Anne outlined her work as a GP working in a hospital interface role in a small town and finding and managing patients with viral hepatitis.

This is a report back on Mrs. Marrianne Black's presentation: More than just 12km: A comparison of the Chinese and Vietnamese Communities Living with hepatitis B in the Brisbane South PHN which was delivered at the Australasian Viral Hepatitis Elimination Conference 2019, which is included in the Oral Abstracts 2: Gains and Gaps: The Hepatitis response in CALD and Indigenous populations.

As a general practice nurse who serves many Chinese and Vietnamese people in our community, the presentation piqued my interest. It made me realise how important it is to find out more about health-seeking behaviours of certain ethnic groups, because it could potentially inform us how to better take care of them and manage their conditions.