B Positive – all you wanted to know about - ASHM

the implementation of hepatitis b prevention
and education is crucial to increase public
awareness of hepatitis b including the
risk factors for transmission, measures for
prevention, and the availability of therapy.
these programs should be designed
specifically for at-risk populations, such as
caLd communities, the aboriginal and torres
strait islander populations, idus, MsM, and
prisoners.
the increasing number of people with chronic
HbV infection and the improved availability
of HbV therapy mandate an enhanced
response to treatment and care. this response
should include national guidelines for HbV
diagnosis and monitoring. the establishment
of community hepatitis clinics and the
enhancement of GP shared-care models in
areas with large asian and aboriginal and torres
strait islander populations is also a priority.
finally, barriers to health care service access
among idus, MsM, caLd and aboriginal and
torres strait islander communities include
stigma and discrimination related to high-risk
behaviours, the lack of english proficiency,
and cultural differences. therefore, besides
providing training and essential information
related to hepatitis b for primary care
practitioners, improving their understanding
of health beliefs, language difficulties, and the
cultural attitudes of affected populations is also
crucial to facilitating access to health services
for at-risk groups.
References
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