The liver is a powerhouse, vital to your health by cleansing the blood, aiding digestion, boosting energy, fighting infections, and eliminating harmful toxins. A damaged liver can’t perform these essential tasks, but if you care for it, the liver has the amazing ability to heal and repair itself.

We want to raise awareness about liver health, as a healthy liver is essential for maintaining your overall health and well-being. Some of the topics we will highlight this month include:

• Tips for liver wellness and liver health for young people
• Accessible resources about Steatotic Liver Disease (SLD), which affects 1 in 3 Australian adults
• Reducing stigma and discrimination around liver disease, in particular hepatitis B and C
• Vital information about liver cancer (the fastest-growing cause of cancer deaths)

Steatotic liver disease (SLD) is commonly known as fatty liver disease and affects 1 in 3 Australians¹. It’s a condition when there is too much fat in your liver. Over time, this can be a problem and lead to serious liver conditions, including liver cancer – the fastest-growing cause of cancer deaths in Australia.

The good news is there is alot you can do to take care of your liver and the early stages of SLD can even be totally reversed.

Liverwell has developed a suite of new consumer information and resources on SLD to provide clear, accessible guidance on understanding and managing this condition. These clinically reviewed resources aim to raise awareness, offer practical advice on prevention, and highlight available treatment and management options.

October is also Liver Cancer Awareness Month, a nationally recognised campaign that furthers public education about liver cancers.

What you should know about liver cancer

Primary liver cancer is a cancerous tumour that starts in the liver. Secondary liver cancer is cancer that has started in another part of the body and spread to the liver. It’s more common than primary liver cancer in Australia.

In Australia, more than 2800 people are diagnosed with primary liver cancer each year, with about three times more men than women affected².   The rate of primary liver cancer has almost doubled since 2002.

Causes include hepatitis B and C infections, obesity (and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease or MAFLD), type 2 diabetes, drinking alcohol, and our ageing population, where more than 70% of cases occur in people aged 60 and over.

For more information and resources click below to visit our Liver Cancer page.

Over 74,000 people in Victoria are living with hepatitis B or C, but stigma and discrimination can prevent people from seeking the testing and treatment they need.

By encouraging open conversations about viral hepatitis, we will be on a path to better health and closer to the global aim to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.

This Liver Awareness Month we will launch Be the Change, a video dedicated to combating stigma and discrimination, featuring our lived experience speakers Mei Mak, Steven Taylor, and Jane Little. Through their personal stories, they challenge misconceptions, change attitudes, and promote understanding in the community about viral hepatitis.

“If I can challenge… people’s opinions of what a person with hepatitis is or isn’t, hopefully that’s a way of tackling stigma and discrimination.”  Steven Taylor

“If we have information, it’s up to us to share it with the community. It’s only ignorance that causes fear.” Jane Little

“To the community living with hepatitis… be brave and learn more. To medical professionals, show some compassion, be kind, be curious, make sure your patients understand what you are telling them.”  Mei Mak

The video will be launched at our AGM on 22 October and shared on social media.

With 1 in 4 Australians living with liver disease we urgently need to raise awareness and provide information and support so that people can access earlier diagnosis and preventative treatment.

Our vision is better liver health for all Australian’s and, with your help, together we can make this a reality.

Whatever you can give will help reduce the devastating impact of liver disease. Thank you!

lDid you know steatotic Liver disease / fatty liver disease affects 1 in 3 Australians?
Living well while you’re young helps to keep your liver healthy.

Check out our health living guide for young people to learn a few tips and tricks to keep your liver healthy!

The LiverHealthPOD
John, Paul and Will are three Liver Doctors (Hepatologist). In this series, they discuss all aspects of keeping you liver healthy and understanding common conditions that effect the liver.

Did you know that healthy livers:

• Perform up to 500 vital functions to support our health, including filtering toxins, aiding digestion, and regulating metabolism.
• Have the remarkable ability to regenerate and replenish lost tissue.
• Not only clean our blood and aid in digestion but also synthesise essential proteins for blood clotting, immune function, and nutrient transportation.

#LiverAwarenessMonth #LoveYourLiver #StepUpForLiverHealth #LAM24

Explore our Liver Health Resources by scrolling below to gain valuable insights into caring for your liver and managing liver conditions. Equip yourself with the understanding needed to care for your liver health.