Hepatitis Victoria/LiverWELL is proud to support a range of
activities across the state that will mark World Hepatitis Day 2020, on 28
July.
More than a dozen organisations have been awarded grants to undertake
novel ways to raise awareness about hepatitis in the context of a pandemic and
deliver the key message that Hepatitis is a virus we can eliminate.
A special range of World Hepatitis Day merchandise, including
stickers, water bottles and hand sanitiser has been produced and distributed to
support the activities.
Aboriginal health organisations, AOD services, hospitals and
neighbourhood houses are all taking part.
Innovation has been on show in planning this year’s
activities, as each has taken into account the current restrictions and safety
requirements related to COVID-19. Many have moved online, or even reverted to
the post to raise awareness and reduce stigma around hepatitis.
“We have been incredibly pleased with the interest shown by
services in supporting World Hepatitis Day. The level of engagement is even
more impressive when they are very busy, adapting to meet the current needs of
their service users in a COVID world,” said Isabelle Purcell, from Hepatitis
Victoria/LiverWELL’s Health Promotion team.
Stay tuned to our social media and website as we share highlights from some of the following activities:
- Moogji Aboriginal Council will mail out relevant and tailored resources and information to community members.
- SHARPS NSP (Peninsula Health) are running a week-long program that provides take-home packs to clients. Packs include liver friendly foods, recipes, nutritional information, personal hygiene products and hepatitis related information.
- Holden St Neighbourhood House isholding an online education session, as well as providing resources electronically.
- Alfred Health will deliver education and training for social work staff to assist with identifying people at risk
- cohealth HealthWorks’s World Hepatitis Day Storytelling Project will develop multimedia resources that shares service users’ stories.
- Pakistan Welfare Organisation in Australia will produce a live broadcast via social media each week, for a month.
- Elizabeth St Common Ground’s activities include speakers, webinars, and resource distribution.
- The Salvation Army’s Access Health program will run a week-long campaign with vaccination and testing.
- Bendigo Community Health Services will focus on training for Karen and Afghan peer workers and development of an audio-visual resource in Karen language to help address misconceptions and gaps in knowledge.
- Galiamble CO: Ngwala Willumbong will develop and film a play/skit about hepatitis C. It will be performed and complemented with a healthy outdoor lunch and feedback session.
- Barwon Health Drug and Alcohol Services will run an activity that reduces the costs of the concession rate for medication, as well as decorate their NSP and provide eye-catching promo bags for outreach delivery to help prompt conversation.
- co-health Innerspace will provide food parcels to help advertise healthy living and strategies to reduce hepatitis B and hepatitis C transmission, plus conduct a t-shirt design competition.
