Viral hepatitis is the most dominant blood-borne illness in Australia, and hepatitis B is the most dominant blood-borne illness in Victoria, with 58,268 Victorians affected.
LiverWELL says treatment rates in Shepparton need to increase.
“More than 74,000 people in Victoria are living with hepatitis B or hepatitis C, putting them at increased risk of liver disease and liver cancer,” Ms Montegriffo said.
“They shouldn’t have to live with that risk when treatment is available and we all need to work harder to ensure easier access to information, testing, treatment and support.”
Shepparton’s treatment number is lower than the state rate, with more than half of the Victorians with hepatitis B not receiving treatment. Nearly 40 per cent of people with hepatitis C have not received the antiviral curative treatment.
“The good news is that the uptake for the hepatitis C curative antiviral treatment in the Murray region is about the same as the rest of Australia — around half those who had hepatitis C in 2016 have been cured, and nearly all babies born in the state have received the vaccination for hepatitis B,” Ms Montegriffo said.
“We are at a crucial stage in the global drive to end viral hepatitis by 2030. We have the tools to achieve this now — there is a cure for hepatitis C and a vaccine and effective treatments for hepatitis B, but we need to get them to the people who need them and support their ongoing care.”
Ms Motegriffo said she knew stigma and discrimination were major barriers for people with viral hepatitis and that treatment was only part of the solution.
Routine blood tests do not screen for the hepatitis virus, meaning that people need to be aware they are at risk and confident in requesting a test from their doctor before any diagnosis can be made that might prevent them from developing serious liver disease or cancer caused by hepatitis.
“We need to focus on utilising peer-led health promotion and community-led approaches to engage with communities in ways that are appropriate, safe and meaningful for them,” she said.
The recent Doherty Report estimated that in 2022, 313 Australian lives were saved due to treatment for hepatitis B, with a total of 2890 lives saved since 2000 with the use of antiviral treatment.
World Hepatitis Day was recognised on July 28, the birthday of Baruch S. Blumberg, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1976 for his hepatitis B research.
For confidential and non-judgmental information, support and referrals in Victoria, phone LiverLine on 1800 703 003.
For more information, visit: www.liverwell.org.au
