Marion Lau

Ethnic Communities Council, People of Australia Ambassador, Order of Australia 

“I am a Hep Hero because I am concerned about the lack of awareness and information available for our migrant communities”

I am a community advocate for people from non-English speaking backgrounds. My passion is the health and well being of migrant communities, in particular seniors and women.

I am a Hepatitis Hero because I am concerned about the lack of awareness and information available for our migrant communities.

I’m a registered nurse, an aged care consultant and a People of Australia Ambassador.  My mission is to spread the word about multicultural Australia and improve access and equality for all.

In my role on the Victorian Multicultural Commission I promote our multicultural society as one of our state’s greatest strengths.  I talk to migrant communities about the benefits of being an Australian citizen and endeavor to support them through issues that impact on their quality of life.  This includes access to services and information, including about hepatitis.

Being from an Asian country myself I understand the cultural confusion about hepatitis.  There is still a lot of stigma around the virus and misunderstanding.  This is a particular concern as many of our Asian communities our are more susceptible to hepatitis yet do not have the resources to fully understand the testing and treatment options.

We need to do more to educate and inform multicultural Australia about the hepatitis, the risks and the options.  Hepatitis is not a death sentence nor is it something to be ashamed of.  It is like any other medical condition and with the right testing, treatment and healthy lifestyle, prevention can be successful.