#81 HepSA Community News

Community News

#81 • April 2019

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- see p8 for details

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The Editor at PO Box 782, Kent Town, SA 5071,

or email editor@hepatitissa.asn.au.

Editor: James Morrison

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(08) 8362 8559

1 Back on Track

HEPATITIS SA BOARD Chair Arieta Papadelos Vice Chair Bill Gaston Secretary Deb Perks Treasurer Michael Larkin Ordinary Members Julio Alejo Catherine Ferguson Sharon Jennings Maggie McCabe Sam Raven Kerry Paterson (EO)

ISSN 2651-9011 (Online)

Contents

2 Taking Treatment to

the Community 3 Malaysia & Medication 4 Self-Compassion 6 Hep C Workshops 8 Test. Cure. Live.

10 Hepatitis B 13 What’s On? 14 In Our Library Disclaimer: Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of Hepatitis SA. Information contained in this newsletter is not intended to take the place of medical advice given by your doctor or specialist.

We welcome contributions from Hepatitis SA members and the general public.

SA Health has contributed funds towards this program.

Back on Track

How Howard got his life back pretty pleased about that: I've got my life back, basically.

I'm healthy, I can do most things, I enjoy my life, so a successful treatment!

my business collapsed, I had various lifestyle problems. I hit the booze pretty badly and engaged in some careless and risky behavior—only on one occasion, I might add, but that was enough to make me really sick.

first found out I had hepatitis C in about 1995. I only found out when I went to donate blood and they said, "No thank you, we don't want that! Go and see your GP!" and then they didn't tell me what was wrong.

I was put on interferon ribavirin treatment by my GP and tried that for six months.

It didn't work. Then, two years later, I had another 12 months of interferon ribavirin treatment, but that didn't work either, so I was very happy to find out about the new hepatitis treatments.

I

So the GP ran liver tests, and it showed that my liver function was high. I had biopsies which indicated I had a bit of scarring on my liver.

I don't actually know how long I have had hep C. I'm only assuming that after my marriage broke up and

Photos by Mike Burton

Howard has got his life back.

After more than 15 years of hell, all it took was two pills a day for three months. Howard shared his experience with Hepatitis SA, urging other people living with hepatitis C to get cured.

Go and get treated, ring up the RAH or the QEH or the Lyell McEwin Hospital.

They've got people there you can you can ring and contact, and all the information can be obtained from Hepatitis SA. I must plug their organisation because they've done so much work with minimal funding to assist people in the community who've experienced this illness, so contact Hepatitis SA, become a member. You'll get all the information, they'll help you go through treatment, they feel comfortable talking about it with you, and also about stigma and anything else you want to know.

Watch Howard tell his story at youtube.com/ watch?v=uekSWNF_9Us. v

I went on the new treatment in 2016 and within six months everything was good!

I last had my blood tested just before Christmas in 2018, and I'm all clear. My LFT—that's my liver function tests—are all good, and so I'm April 2019 • HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81

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Taking Testing and Treatment to the Community Malaysia takes the lead

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ne of the critical paths to eliminating hepatitis C is finding the undiagnosed.

Following its compulsory licensing of sofosbuvir, Malaysia has once again taken the lead with an innovative public health approach that brings hepatitis C testing into community health centres using rapid diagnostic testing (RDT).

Photo supplied by Mohd Zamri Omar

Malaysian delegates at the 4th National Hepatitis Conference in Kuala Lumpur enjoying a lighter moment.

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Community-based organisations like Hepatitis Free Malaysia have mobilised to support an awareness campaign that took testing to community venues in regional centres, bringing hepatitis C testing throughout the nation. (See facebook. com/HepatitisFreeMsia) Those tested positive via RDT are then linked to care for further testing and treatment in the most appropriate setting. Free hepatitis C treatment is available at one of 21 government hospitals, at primary health clinics or through a governmentsponsored trial of new drugs.

This world-leading hepatitis C testing strategy is a collaborative effort between the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) and Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM), a not-forprofit company funded by the Malaysian Ministry of Health.

It is being implemented in partnership with Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) which has been conducting hepatitis C clinical trials in Malaysia (see www.dndi.org/category/ clinical-trials).

HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81 • April 2019

The strategy was formally announced at the Fourth National Hepatitis Conference Malaysia in early March 2019.

Speaking at the conference venue to Professor Ben Cowie from the Doherty Institute, the Chairperson of the Malaysian National Hepatitis Committee, Dr Hjh. Rosaida Mohammad Said, described the new strategy as a very good move. “All this while, treatment had been at the hospital level but following this, treatment will be decentralised into health clinics,” she said.

Dr Hjh Rosaida explained that people tested positive at screening clinics will be referred to the hospital where they will be given a viral load test on the first visit and if positive, a genotype test on the second visit. Treatment will begin on their third visit.

Treatment will be given either through DNDi’s clinical trial or with drugs available from the Government’s compulsory licensing scheme.

(continued on p12)

»

Pharmaniaga’s Mohammad Zamri Omar (left) with Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad

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Malaysia Faces Pressure from Pharmaceutical Industry

n September 2017, using the Rights of Government under the Patents Act 1983 (Act 291), Malaysia became the first country in the world to license the production of a generic version of sofosbuvir for use in government facilities.

This was expected to dramatically reduce the financial burden of treating the estimated 500,000 Malaysians with hepatitis C, from RM50,000 for a full course to RM500 (bit. ly/2YGRZnn).

The agreement to provide affordable hepatitis C treatment in Malaysia was signed in November 2017 between Pharmaniaga Logistics Sdn Bhd (Pharmaniaga), Egyptian pharmaceutical company Pharco Pharmaceuticals (Pharco), and non-profit research and development organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).

The Malaysian government continues to face pressure from the American

pharmaceutical industry.

In February this year, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) made a submission to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) calling for Malaysia to be included in the list of “Priority Foreign Countries”—including Canada, Japan and Korea—to be penalised with sanctions. (onphr.ma/2FMw9pP)

Pharmaniaga Senior Manager, Mohammad Zamri Omar told Hepatitis SA Community News that the battle to bring affordable treatment to ordinary Malaysians “took a lot of willpower and grit”.

Not surprisingly, Malaysia’s bold move was widely applauded by viral hepatitis campaigners.

In February 2019, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) wrote a letter of support to the Malaysian government describing its compulsory licence for sofosbuvir as “a positive step for public health and innovation”.

The letter expressed the MSF’s support for the

government use licence to accelerate the Malaysian Ministry of Health’s efforts to scale-up hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment, enabling procurement of generic sofosbuvir for availability in public hospitals throughout the country.

“Following the adoption of the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health in 2003, Malaysia became the first country to issue a compulsory licence on a medicine to treat HIV. Similarly, in 2017, it was the first country to issue a government use licence for HCV treatment.”

The letter went on to say that such pressure exerted by the pharmaceutical industry “violates the integrity and legitimacy of the system of legal rights and flexibilities created by the TRIPS Agreement, as reaffirmed by the Doha Declaration for WTO members to meet their rights and public health obligations”. v Cecilia Lim

April 2019 • HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81

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Having a Hard Time?

Try a little kindness

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iving with viral hepatitis can be really tough and for some, it might seem even tougher when the holiday season rolls around. Some of the negative aspects or experiences that people have shared with us over the years include uncertainty over their health outcomes, fatigue, and dealing with disclosure.

People with chronic viral hepatitis may face the challenges of: • living with the long term uncertainty of how hepatitis B or C may be affecting their liver • dealing with symptoms such as brain fog or fatigue • becoming seriously ill because of liver damage • having to disclose their status to new people in their life • being treated poorly by a healthcare provider • having fearful or negative feelings about being “infectious” • feeling isolated from the community because of stigma or “having a secret” Unfortunately, there is evidence to show that those living with long-term viral hepatitis are at increased risk of becoming depressed.

Although it isn’t known exactly why this is the case it is thought that the most likely

causes are a combination of the physical and psychological effects of the disease. Looking at the above list this is hardly surprising. They have a lot to deal with emotionally, as well as physically.

You need to look after your mental & physical health Learning better ways to deal with stress and uncertainty can have a real impact on your mental and physical health and lessen the chances of becoming or staying depressed and anxious.

A promising new approach, called self-compassion, could be helpful for people with viral hepatitis.

How can it help?

Self-compassion may: • help you cope with negative emotions and uncertainty • make you feel more connected to other people • improve your sense of wellbeing Practicing self-compassion has been found to improve wellbeing and life satisfaction and reduce levels of depression, anxiety, stress and shame.

What is self-compassion?

Being kind to yourself: Selfcompassion is the practice

of treating yourself with the same understanding, kindness and forgiveness that you would a cherished friend.

Rather than ignoring your suffering or berating yourself for your failings, respond to yourself with gentleness and compassion.

Accepting your shared humanity: Self-compassion recognises that every human being is flawed and that people rarely get exactly what they want in life. Accepting that you are only human too can help you to feel less isolated in your suffering and more a part of the shared human experience of life.

Being mindful: The selfcompassion approach encourages you to step back from negative emotions and view them mindfully rather than taking them as literal truth and getting caught up in a negative spiral of selfblame and worthlessness.

But don’t I need to be tough to cope and get things done?

Many people mistakenly believe that they need to be tough with themselves to get through difficult situations or to avoid making mistakes in the future. In fact, not only does this approach not work, it can make things worse.

Unchallenged feelings of selfblame, isolation and shame make people more likely to:

This piece first appeared on our blog, HepSay, at hepatitissa.asn.au/blog. Come and visit us there!

Distract themselves from negative emotions rather than accepting and facing them.

Unable to admit that they’ve made mistakes or have flaws, just like everybody else.

Not deal realistically with their situation or make plans to make things better in the future Think about what you’d say to a friend if they had the same problem

Try it for yourself Next time something goes wrong or you’re facing painful or challenging feelings, try some selfcompassion. Instead of the same old critical or selfblaming responses:

• Acknowledge how you feel or how hard the situation is • Talk to yourself encouragingly just as you would a friend • Take a step back from your emotions and remember that everybody has disappointments & problems • Do something that you find soothing like drinking a cup of tea or listening to some music • If you need to you can come back to thinking about

your problem once you feel better and can think more clearly.

When you think about it, treating ourselves harshly only makes a difficult situation worse. We’re far more likely to cope well with hard times with a little kindness.

More information Find out more about selfcompassion and how to practice it at self-compassion. org.

Take a quiz at bit.ly/2NF3M2S to find out how selfcompassionate you are.

Complete the free online course at bit.ly/2YPGv0Q.

Photo CC Chapendra [flickr.com /photos/chaparral/

• Stop, take a deep breath and treat yourself with kindness

Get some support Remember, there’s no need to deal with everything by yourself. If you need some support our confidential Helpline is available weekdays (except on public holidays) from 9am – 5pm. Call 1800 437 222.

Free counselling is also available for people with hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV through MOSAIC Counselling. Call 1300 364 277. v Rose Magdalene

April 2019 • HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81

5

Hep C Workshops

Spreading the new treatment news

L

ast year, the Hepatitis SA CNP Peer Program received a grant from the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) to hold hepatitis information workshops for the community and workforce. We held the

community session for people who inject drugs and who access the Northern DASSA CNP and Anglicare Elizabeth Mission CNP. The session for workforce was held for Hepatitis SA casual CNP Peer Educators.

Thirteen community members participated in the Elizabeth session and five casual CNP peer educators participated in the session for workforce.

There were three modules to the workshop: Hepatitis and Your Liver; Hepatitis

A non-invasive fibroscan in action

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HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81 • April 2019

C Testing; and Hepatitis C Treatment. The modules were pre-prepared by AIVL but we were able to tailor the information to the specific groups of participants, and we also included additional information that was locally relevant.

Pre- and post-workshop questionnaires allowed us to evaluate the learnings for the workshops.

We found that the casual peer workers were already quite informed about liver health and hepatitis C, either through their own experience or through induction training provided by Hepatitis SA. For most of them the information was refreshing or expanding on existing knowledge.

Important knowledge gained from the workforce session was the difference between a positive hepatitis C antibody test and a positive hepatitis C PCR test (or RNA test).

Post-training questionnaire answers indicated that all participants are now aware of the difference between having antibodies and being actively infected with the hepatitis C virus.

The peer workers are also now much clearer on who

can and cannot be treated— before the workshop some peers thought that having HIV precluded people from treatment, but postworkshop questionnaire answers showed that all participants are now aware that having HIV, currently injecting drugs or having treatment previously does not prevent a person from accessing DAAs for hepatitis C. The post-training questionnaire also showed that there is now more awareness amongst the peers of DAA interactions with other drugs and how to check online to find out about interactions.

The CNP clients who attended the community workshop were very engaged and for many of them the information was new.

A comparison of the pre- and post-workshop questionnaires also showed that the community participants learnt what cirrhosis is and what some of the tests for liver disease are; the difference between having antibodies and being actively infected with the hepatitis C virus; the excellent cure rate

following DAA treatment; and the difference between DAAs and past treatments— for example, injections are no longer necessary. The community participants also learnt that people who currently inject drugs can access DAAs for hepatitis C. Before the workshop many of the participants thought that as injectors they were not able to access treatment, so this was very good and surprising news for them.

The community session also covered safer injecting and other ways to protect oneself from hepatitis C transmission; how to keep the liver healthy and how to reduce the risk of developing chronic liver disease.

After learning at this workshop how simple and effective the new treatments are, two of the participants attended for a fibroscan with the Liver Health Nurse there at the Anglicare Elizabeth Mission on the following Friday. The nurse was then able to start them on the DAA Treatment for hepatitis C, which they have both successfully completed. v Carol Holly & Lisa Carter

April 2019 • HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81

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Test Cure Live

Search for thousands of South Australians missing out on HCV cure

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housands of South Australians are at risk of serious liver disease because they don’t know they are living with hepatitis C or they don’t know they can easily be cured.

These people are among the over 7,500 in South Australia still living with chronic hepatitis C despite highly effective new medicines being publicly funded since March 2016.

Recent analysis prepared

by Hepatitis Australia concluded that although most Australians with chronic hepatitis C acquired it through reused injecting equipment, the majority are not current users and do not access services which would have provided them with up to date information about treatment.

Furthermore, before transmission risks were better understood, some were exposed through medical procedures, body art and even contact sport. One in six Australians with hepatitis C remain undiagnosed.

With this in view, Hepatitis SA is working with Hepatitis Australia to roll out the national Test Cure Live

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campaign in South Australia.

The campaign is also currently running in the ACT. The Test Cure Live campaign is reaching out through community groups, radio, online news sites and social media. Liver Health Days were held at Mawson Lakes and Woodcroft community centres with another one planned for West Lakes.

The event at Mawson Lakes attracted 24 participants who had their liver scanned and assessed by the viral hepatitis nurse who was there on the day. Some who were assessed to be at risk of hepatitis C or B were referred for further testing.

Thirty people attended the Woodcroft event and 24 fibro scanned. There was discussion around transmission risks and with some taking information home to family members they were concerned about.

The Test Cure Live campaign aims to motivate people to speak to their doctors about getting tested or treated. A GP training workshop was also organised for doctors in the northern suburbs.

HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81 • April 2019

The hepatitis C virus causes liver inflammation which, left untreated, can lead to liver scarring and serious liver disease like liver cancer and liver failure.

For decades, hepatitis C had been difficult to treat, with long treatment times, limited certainty of success and gruelling side-effects—until recently.

Revolutionary new medicines have turned this chronic disease into one that can be easily treated, with an outstanding 95 per cent success rate and very few side-effects.

One in six Australians with hepatitis C don’t know they have it. Symptoms often don’t manifest for decades and even when they do, could be mistaken for minor ailments.

“The message is simple,” said Hepatitis SA Executive officer, Kerry Paterson. “If you are worried about hepatitis C, get tested. If you have hepatitis C, get cured and live free from the virus.

“Since early 2016, around 25 per cent of South Australians with hepatitis C have undergone treatment.

While many are celebrating life without hepatitis C, far more remain untreated and at risk of serious liver disease.

“There is no reason to live with hepatitis C. Now is the time for action. A simple test followed by tablets for two or three months is all it takes to be cured.”

Ms Paterson said around 60,000 Australians, including 3,790 from SA, have been treated for hepatitis C but 182,000 still live with the condition.

“Each year, 8,000 people in Australia are diagnosed with hepatitis C and 530 die from hepatitis C-related liver disease,” she said.

The Test Cure Live website (testcurelive.com.au) provides in-depth information about hepatitis C, including testing and treatment options as well as stories of people who after many years with hepatitis C have been cured with the new anti-viral medicines. v

Local residents who had their liver health check at Mawson Lakes Community Centre with viral hepaitis nurse Lucy (third from left) and Hepatitis SA educator Shannon (right).

Photo by Lisa Carter

April 2019 • HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81

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Hepatitis B

Where are we in the fight against HBV?

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he recent election of eminent physician Su Wang as President of the World Hepatitis Alliance signals a shift to focus on hepatitis B. Dr Wang is an active campaigner for action on hepatitis B and is herself affected by the virus. The successful development of effective cures for hepatitis C means attention can now be turned to the challenge of finding a cure for hepatitis B. The burden of hepatitis B is enormous—257 million people live with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) world-wide resulting in almost 890,000 deaths each year.

There is as yet no cure for hepatitis B because current drugs are unable to target a core part of the virus which embeds itself within host cells. That part of the virus— known as covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA)— persists even in people who have naturally cleared the virus, and may be reactivated when their immune system is compromised, for instance,

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after organ transplant or through chemotherapy.

It follows that the number of people potentially at risk of hepatitis B related liver failure or death is in fact higher than the 257 million with the chronic form of the disease.

Current hepatitis B treatments aim only to suppress viral activity to achieve what is known as a functional cure, where the viral load and activity is so low as to not cause damage.

Such treatment, once begun, must generally be maintained for life. That can be a significant burden especially in developing countries where health budgets are limited and hepatitis B prevalence high.

The International Coalition to Eliminate HBV (ICE-HBV) is an international researchdriven forum which aims to fast-track the discovery of a safe, effective, affordable and scalable cure to benefit all people living with CHB,

HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81 • April 2019

including children and people living with HCV, HDV and HIV co-infection.

According to ICE-HBV, only 8% of people with CHB have access to treatment, so in spite of the availability of effective interventions to prevent infection and adverse outcomes in those affected, the high burden of the disease warrants a coordinated public health approach to cure CHB. Buoyed by the success with hepatitis C, and no doubt seeing opportunities for similar success with hepatitis B, drug companies are now throwing their resources into finding a hepatitis B cure.

The Hepatitis B Foundation’s Drug Watch currently lists 31 drugs in phase I or II trials and 18 preclinical studies.

All stages of the virus’s life cycle are being targeted and a wide variety of approaches used, such as repurposing existing drugs used for other diseases or finding more effective ways of delivering treatment such as structured interruptions to allow the natural immunity to regain capacity to fight the hepatitis B virus, and achieve a functional cure.

Other approaches include the

WHA CEO Cary James, President Michael Ninburg & President-Elect Su Wang

use of inhibitors, and RNA silencing.

Even without a cure, much can be done to reduce the burden of hepatitis B using tools already available. There is a highly effective vaccine for hepatitis B that can prevent infection and new treatments can help prevent liver cancer in people with CHB. Sadly, advocates and workers on the ground are finding few resources being allocated to hepatitis B. The lack of resources means hepatitis B is not being tackled as well as it could be with current prevention and treatment options.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that only 9% of people with chronic hepatitis B have been diagnosed. Of those diagnosed, only 8% receive treatment. In other words, of the 257 million living with chronic hepatitis

B, only 22 million are diagnosed and 1.7 million receiving treatment.

In Australia, more than 230,000 people live with the condition and one in three is undiagnosed. Of those who are diagnosed, monitoring and treatment rates are below recommended levels. Within Australia, communities with higher prevalence of hepatitis B are those facing numerous barriers to accessing health information and services.

Reaching these communities to raise awareness and facilitate testing, vaccination or monitoring requires significant time, effort and resources.

Despite the funding of 40 very successful community education pilot projects in 2016 and the launch of the Third National Hepatitis B Strategy in 2018 by the Australian government, no additional funding has been forthcoming to further the work that was started.

Hepatitis organisations around the country, like Hepatitis SA, have had hepatitis B added to the scope of their work with little or no additional funding to support the new responsibilities and, in some cases, there were even funding cuts.

Just as hepatitis C had for many years been the orphan of the blood-borne virus sector, perhaps hepatitis B has to wait for the development of a miracle cure for it to get the attention it needs. v Cecilia Lim Sources: • • •

•

ice-hbv.org/hep-b-cure/ hep-b-cure/

who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/hepatitis-b sciencemag.org/ news/2018/11/pushcure-hepatitis-b-longoverlooked-scourgemillions

hepb.org/treatment-andmanagement/drug-watch/

April 2019 • HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81

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»

(continued from p2) Patients eligible for the DNDi trial will be recruited to the hospital. For patients not participating in the DNDi trial and without complicated needs, the hospital will send the patient, together with the drugs back to the family medicine specialist to be treated at the local health clinic.

Note: Professor Ben Cowie is Clinician Researcher at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis at the Doherty Institute Dr Hjh Rosaida binte Hj Mohammad Said is Chairperson of National Hepatitis Committee (Malaysia), Senior Consultant Gastroenterologist and Head of Medical Department at Hospital Ampang

Patients treated at the health clinics pay a RM1 administration fee and those treated at hospitals pay RM5.

Professor Ben Cowie, said the strategy will make a big difference to the approach to hepatitis C management in Malaysia, and also have implications for the model of hepatitis C treatment in the region and globally.

In other parts of the world, efforts to make hepatitis C testing easily available where it is most needed, saw a radical outreach program in India (see our article in issue 79, ‘The Final Frontier’).

In Australia, projects are underway to evaluate RDT efficacy and delivery strategies. Hepatitis SA recently participated in the Kirby Institute’s ETHOS II program facilitating point-of-care hepatitis C testing for over 80 clients at drug treatment centres in metropolitan Adelaide..

This part of the EHOS study aims to develop a framework for hepatitis C screening and treatment in drug and alcohol settings in Australia. v Cecilia Lim

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HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81 • April 2019

Community mobilisation for hepatitis screening in Malaysia.

(Screenshot of Hepatitis Free Msia Facebook page)

Affected by he

Affected by hepatitis C? Photo © S. Allen

Hepatitis C peer educators are available to provide treatment information and support to clients at the following services: Free Fibroscan Clinics (No bookings required) •

Calming the C

•

• Information and support in a confidential, friendly environment • Speak to others who have had treatment • Partners, family and friends welcome

Now meeting at HACKNEY, ELIZABETH PORT ADELAIDE: and PORT ADELAIDE Wonggangga Turtpandi For information, phone 8362 8443 12–2pm 12.30–2.30pm See over for• dates Tuesday, 2 April • Tuesday, 7 May HACKNEY: 3 Hackney Rd

• • • •

Tuesday, 2 July Tuesday, 27 August Tuesday, 22 October Tuesday, 17 December

Free, after-hours support is available for anyone struggling with addictive behaviour.

The SMART (Self Management and Recovery

• • • •

•

Tuesday, 28 May Tuesday, 23 July Tuesday, 17 September Tuesday, 12 November

Training) Recovery group meetings run for 90 minutes each Wednesday, from 5.30pm at 3 Hackney Road, Hackney, in the meeting room at the rear of Hepatitis SA.

Hutt Street Day Centre: 3rd Wednesday of each month, 9.30–11.30am, 258 Hutt St, Adelaide SA 5000 WestCare Services; 4th Thursday of each month, 9.30–11.30am, 11/19 Millers Ct, Adelaide SA 5000 Wonggangga Turtpandiand support • Information Aboriginal Primary Health friendly environment Care Service (Pt Adelaide • Speak to others who hav CNP); 1st Wednesday of each • Partners, family and frien month, 9.30–11.30am, 11 Church St, Port Adelaide SA 5015

Calming

Bookings Now required meeting •

•

at HACKN

Anglicare Elizabeth Mission; and PORT ADE 2nd Friday of each month, information, 9.30am–12For pm, 91-93 Elizabeth phon Way Elizabeth (Bookings See via over for reception in person, or call 8209 5400) Noarlunga GP Plus; fortnightly, Alexander Kelly Dr, Noarlunga Centre SA 5168 (Bookings via Noarlunga CNP Peer, or by calling Rosalie on 0466 777 876)

The program can assist with any problematic behaviours, including addiction to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, food, shopping, internet and others. Focus is upon the addictive behaviour, not the substance itself.

For more information, call Lisa on 8362 8443, or visit smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au.

April 2019 • HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81

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Patient-centered information videos Fast hep B facts from South Australia’s African communities AWFSA, HepSA, PEACE & MYSA, Adelaide, 2018. Video 2m.

For anyone thinking about getting tested, or who has been newly diagnosed with hepatitis, the amount of information available can be overwhelming. Even verbal information passed on from health professionals can be hard to absorb or remember, especially when stress is added to the equation.

Here are some short and easily digested videos, catering to a variety of cultural groups in Australia, that can be freely viewed online (at your leisure—and multiple times if need be).

More resources like these can be found in our online catalogue at hepatitissa. asn.au/library: scroll to the quick links and click on LIFESTYLE: SELF HELP OR EDUCATION & TRAINING: CONSUMER ISSUES. If you are unable to access these online resources please contact us (phone 8362 8443 or email Cecilia@ hepsa.asn.au) .

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How to treat hepatitis C WA Health, Perth, 2019. Video 4m.

Members of SA’s African communities came together to create this short, sharp educational video for their communities. In English. bit.ly/africanfastfacts

Animation created in consultation with health services and Aboriginal members of the community – with information about transmission, tests, treatment and how to stay healthy. In English. bit.ly/howtotreathepc Making hepatitis B history TasCAHRD, Hobart, 2018.

Video 7m 45s General overview of causes, effects, treatment and prevention measures – with statistics of how many are affected in Australia.

Available in: Tigrinya, Swahili, Nepali, Karen, Farsi, Arabic and English. bit.ly/hepbhistory

HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81 • April 2019

Hepatitis B is everybody’s business Hepatitis SA & Filipino Settlement Co-Ord Council SA, Adelaide, 2018. Video 9m.

Lively and colourful information about the liver and the prevalence, causes and treatments for hepatitis B. In Tagalog. bit.ly/filipinohbv

What is a fibroscan Hepatitis Queensland, Brisbane, 2018. Video 1m 30s.

Description and demonstration of a FibroScan: a quick and painless device that is used to determine how healthy your liver is. bit.ly/whatisfibroscan

Hep C: spread the cure: get tested, get treated, get talking Merck, Sharp and Dohme Aust, Sydney, 2018. Website with multiple videos.

Contains videos of patient stories, information about risk factors, testing and treatment - with links to selected GPs. In English bit.ly/spreadthecure

Are you living with hepatitis C? A cure is available Multicultural HIV & Hepatitis Service, Sydney, 2018. 3 Videos 4m each These 3 stories are drawn from a wide cross section of migrant and refugee experiences. Some actors were used to protect the identity of the persons who gave us their stories. In Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese. bit.ly/hcvcure_multicultural

Hepatitis B and baby Hepatitis SA, Adelaide, 2017.

Video 2m.

Most people with chronic hepatitis B got it during birth or in early childhood. In Australia, all mothers-to-be are offered hepatitis B screening and all newborns vaccinated against hepatitis B. Gastroenterologist and hepatologist, Dr Damian Harding explains why it is important. In English with Chinese subtitles. bit.ly/hbvandbaby

April 2019 • HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 81

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HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITYto NEWSbook 81 • April 2019

Useful Services & Contacts Hepatitis SA Free education sessions, printed information, telephone information and support, referrals, clean needle program and library.

(08) 8362 8443 admin@hepatitissa.asn.au www.hepsa.asn.au Hepatitis SA Helpline 1800 437 222 (cost of a local call) Adelaide Dental Hospital A specially funded clinic provides priority dental care for people with hepatitis C with a Health Care Card.

Call Hepatitis SA on 1800 437 222 for a referral. beyondblue Mental health information line

Hutt St Centre Showers, laundry facilities, visiting health professionals, recreation activities, education and training, legal aid and assistance services provided to the homeless.

Nunkuwarrin Yunti An Aboriginal-controlled, citybased health service with clean needle program and liver clinic.

258 Hutt St, Adelaide SA 5000 (08) 8418 2500

P.E.A.C.E. HIV and hepatitis education and support for people from nonEnglish speaking backgrounds.

Lifeline National, 24-hour telephone counselling service.

13 11 14 (cost of a local call) www.lifeline.org.au Mental Health Crisis Service 24 hour information and crisis line available to all rural, remote and metropolitan callers.

13 14 65

1300 224 636 www.beyondblue.org.au

MOSAIC Counselling Service For anyone whose life is affected by hepatitis.

Clean Needle Programs in SA For locations visit the Hepatitis SA Hackney office or call the Alcohol and Drug Information Service.

(08) 8223 4566

1300 131 340 Community Access & Services SA Alcohol and drug education; clean needle program for the Vietnamese and other communities.

(08) 8447 8821 headspace Mental health issues are common.

Find information, support and help at your local headspace centre 1800 650 890 www.headspace.org.au

(08) 8406 1600

(08) 8245 8100 SA Sex Industry Network Promotes the health, rights and wellbeing of sex workers.

(08) 8351 7626 SAMESH South Australia Mobilisation + Empowerment for Sexual Health www.samesh.org.au Youth Health Service Free, confidential health service for youth aged 12 to 25.

Youth Helpline: 1300 13 17 19 Parent Helpline: 1300 364 100

Viral Hepatitis Community Nurses Care and assistance, education, streamlined referrals, patient support, work-up for HCV treatment, monitoring and follow-ups. Clients can self-refer. Contact nurses directly for an appointment.

Central: Margery - 0423 782 415 margery.milner@sa.gov.au North: Lucy - 0401 717 971

Michelle - 0413 285 476

South: Rosalie - 0466 777 876 rosalie.altus@sa.gov.au

Jeff - 0466 777 873

Specialist Treatment Clinics Subsidised treatment for hepatitis B and C are provided by specialists at the major hospitals. You will need a referral from your GP. However, you can call the hospitals and speak to the nurses to get information about treatment and what you need for your referral.

• Flinders Medical Centre Gastroenterology & Hepatology Unit: call 8204 6324 • Queen Elizabeth Hospital: call 8222 6000 and ask to speak a viral hepatitis nurse • Royal Adelaide Hospital Viral Hepatitis Unit: call Anton on 0401 125 361 or 8222 2081 • Lyell McEwin Hospital: call Michelle on 0413 285 476 or Lucy on 0401 717 971

NEW NEW SAFE SAFE TREATMENTS TREATMENTS CAN CAN CURE CURE HEPATITIS HEPATITIS C C

TT U O B U A O B R A O T R C O O T D C O R U O RD Y U O O Y T O K AK T SSP EA PE

Your tiredness might be something more. Hepatitis C affects thousands of people living in Australia and is even more common overseas.

It may be transmitted if you’ve had a blood transfusion, a dental or medical procedure here before 1990 or overseas.

Hepatitis C can be cured with a simple new treatment.

See your doctor about getting tested for Hep C.

LIVE LIVE FREE FREE FROM FROM THE THE WORRY WORRY OF OF HEP HEP C C 2

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