Liver Legend: Jayashree Kunigal Shivanna

Jayashree Kunigal Shivanna is the recipient of LiverWELL’s 2025 Individual Contribution Recognition Award, recognising her outstanding commitment to reducing the burden of viral hepatitis and improving the wellbeing of people living with liver disease in Victoria. The award acknowledges her meaningful impact, her ability to inspire others, and her strong collaborative work with LiverWELL and partner organisations.

Jayashree spent two years as the Cultural Liaison Officer at the South East Public Health Unit (SEPHU), supporting people newly arrived to Australia to navigate the health system and access hepatitis follow-up care under Health Undertaking requirements. Her work led to increased treatment offers, stronger linkages to care and more vaccination recommendations, with many community members expressing how much her support meant to them.

A public health professional, Jayashree currently works part-time with Hep B Voices on a national hepatitis B awareness campaign in partnership with Hepatitis Australia, contributing to co-design and evaluation. Shaped by both professional experience and lived experience of migration, her work sits at the intersection of health systems, culture and community.

In her Cultural Liaison Officer role, Jayashree supported newly arrived migrants, international students and families who were required to link to care for hepatitis B. Many felt frightened or overwhelmed by official letters, often compounded by language barriers, financial pressures, lack of Medicare and limited understanding of why follow-up mattered. Building trust was central to her role, explaining processes in culturally appropriate ways and helping people navigate GPs, referrals and vaccination for close contacts.

One experience that stays with Jayashree involved supporting a large Afghan family, where hepatitis B follow-up needed to be handled with deep cultural sensitivity. By working carefully with interpreters, acknowledging trauma backgrounds and focusing on family protection through vaccination, she was able to ease fear and build trust. The family later emailed their thanks, an affirming reminder of the power of respectful, person-centred care.

Jayashree believes awareness remains critical, noting that stigma and misinformation persist. She observes that in some communities, starting conversations through the broader lens of “liver health” can make discussions feel safer, often serving as a bridge to talking openly about hepatitis.

Her message is simple but powerful: “When people feel respected and understood, they’re more willing to engage with care.”