Around one in every 45 Filipinos live with chronic hepatitis B in Australia. That is nearly 7,000 people, and the tragedy is that one-third of them are undiagnosed. Hepatitis B blood tests are not part of routine blood screening, but finding out your viral hepatitis status is as easy as asking your GP for a blood test for hepatitis B.
There is still a lack of awareness about liver disease in the Philippines, even for Filipinos living in Australia. Not many are aware that hepatitis B can cause liver cancer and death. At the same time, lack of education brings stigma and discrimination to people living with hepatitis B because of myths and misconceptions.
The truth is: you can get tested and vaccinated to protect yourself. And for those people living with chronic hepatitis B, there is an effective treatment to keep their livers healthy.
Why should liver health and hepatitis B matter to me?
Globally, hepatitis claims the lives of 1.4 million people every year. Liver disease is called a ‘silent killer’, as people living with the condition are often asymptomatic and only present with symptoms when the disease is advanced and causing irreversible damage to the liver. Many things can cause stress to your liver; alcohol, drugs and medications, foods high in oil, fat, sugar and salt, autoimmune conditions, and viral infection. However, most liver cancer cases and deaths are attributed to hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Now is the time to talk about hepatitis
In the Philippines, there is a high prevalence of hepatitis B, making Filipinos a vulnerable community, even when they go on to live in Australia. Many Filipinos get hepatitis B when they are born, and mother-to-child transmission is one of the common ways hepatitis B is transmitted. Risk-taking activities such as unprotected sex and sharing injecting equipment can also result in the transmission of hepatitis B. There is no cure for hepatitis B yet, so early diagnosis, prevention and harm reduction are essential. If you have been exposed to the virus, your family and household members should also get tested.
Before the 2000s, screening for mothers living with hepatitis B and vaccinations of infants were not as efficient in the Philippines as they are today. However, a lot of work is still needed currently to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health concern globally. People living with hepatitis B must be equipped with sufficient knowledge about their condition. If you are unsure of your status, please speak to your GP.
Alain Palines from LiverWELL, incorporating Hepatitis Victoria, and Dr Marilou Capati from Top End Medical Centre, Darwin, are on a mission to help Australia meet its 2030 viral hepatitis elimination targets through community engagement and health promotion activities. We need your help in spreading the word. As the Filipino community in Australia, we must take care of our kababayans.
For help or to become involved, please call the LiverLine on 1800 703 003, visit liverwell.org.au, or email alain@liverwell.org.au.
References
- MacLachlan JH, Stewart S, Cowie BC. Viral Hepatitis Mapping Project: National Report 2020. Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia: Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM), 2020; https://www.ashm.org.au/programs/ Viral-Hepatitis-Mapping-Project/
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census Report
