Spreading Hep B Info

The South Australian Chinese community has responded enthusiastically to fibroscan clinics and hepatitis B testing organised by Hepatitis SA in the last 11 months.

Hepatitis B Community Education Chinese project officer, Chen Bin, said Chinese people in general has a high level of interest in managing their health.

“This is especially true of the middle-aged and seniors. They use their free time to look up information on the internet and usually would take up opportunities for free health checks,” she said.

“They will also sometimes tell their friends and family members of these opportunities and get them to attend as well.”

Project officer, Chen Bin chats with a community member

She said younger members of the community are usually busier managing careers and young families and are harder to reach. “They are also less hampered by language barrier should they need health services, so are not as anxious as the older generation,” she added.

Hepatitis SA’s Hepatitis B Community Education project with the Chinese community had to date engaged with over 160 participants in information sessions and distributed information resources to over 700 people.

This work was strongly supported by local Chinese groups including the Chinese Association of SA, Overseas Chinese Association Seniors program, Chinese Welfare Services SA and the Cantonese Opera Adelaide SA.

An example of Hepatitis SA's Chinese language resources

More than 210 people received fibroscans at sessions held in local community centres. The fibroscan clinics, provided by viral hepatitis nurses from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, provided opportunities for the nurses and Hepatitis SA staff to talk to participants about transmission risks, vaccination and need for regular check-ups for people known to be hepatitis B positive.

Enthralled - Chinese Welfare Services seniors group watching a hepatitis B video.

With the support of a private general practice, the project was also able to provide hepatitis B testing to 56 people via organised visits as well as a one day clinic which screened over 50 people.

As a result of the testing, 25 people received hepatitis B vaccinations and several people returned to regular care.

The project will continue till mid-2018 and planning is underway for more fibroscans and screening.

For more information, email bin@hepsa. asn.au or call 0403 648 348.

by Cecilia Lim