Dr Jason Chuen
Director of Vascular Surgery at Austin Health and President of the Australian Chinese Medical Association of Victoria.
I support raising awareness of hepatitis and its consequent illnesses and believe that it is a preventable and manageable condition if patients and the community are engaged in doing so.
I come from a Chinese background and several of my close and extended family have or have had hepatitis, including hepatocellular cancer.
Hepatitis is more common in Asian and migrant communities, as well as with lower socioeconomic status. With attention it can be detected early and potentially cured. The costs of late liver disease are severe, both in a personal and a community basis.
Dr Jason’s message to others…
Stay healthy and look after your liver. That includes avoiding excessive alcohol, and not sharing needles. If you or your family are migrants to Australia and you have never been tested then consider getting a screening test for viral hepatitis. Speak to your GP for more information.