Community Resources: June 14, 2016

Living with hep C
Since 1998 Hepatitis C Resource Centre has been
actively raising awareness and providing support for
those affected with hepatitis C in New Zealand.
15 years ago treatment was less effective and with
many people experiencing debilitating side-effects,
which often caused illness worse than the disease itself,
but now there is medicine available in New Zealand
that has proven to be an effective cure in more than
90 percent of treated patients and new Direct-Acting
Antivirals (DAAs) will shorten treatment time, contain
very few side-effects and have been proven to cure up
to 100 percent of some strains of hepatitis C.
As there are still many people with latent infections
who are unaware that they have hepatitis C,
possibly because they have never been sick with it,
it is important people are tested so they can receive
treatment and avoid passing it on to others.
Given that 75 percent of people living with hepatitis
C were born between 1945 and 1965 the Hepatitis C
Resource Centre urges people from the Baby-Boomer
generation to get tested; especially if you have ever;
shared injecting equipment with others (even just
once); had a blood transfusion in New Zealand prior
to July 1992; or received a potentially unsterile tattoo
or piercing.
Those who work at the centre have personal
experience of living with the virus and most have been
successfully treated.
Visit www.hepcnz.org for more information, drop
into the Christchurch clinic at 301 Tuam Street or call
the national helpline on 0800 22 HEPC (0800 224372)
to start the conversation today.
Don’t Worry
Be Happy
Being happy and healthy is
important for everyone. The
Mental Health Education and
Resource Centre (MHERC)
connects people with a range
of information and services to
support people to stay well.
MHERC provides a free
mental health library, produces
an annually updated Canterbury
Mental Health Directory, and
can connect you with mental
health support groups and other
organisations in Christchurch.
The Centre also offers a range of
professional development courses
about wellbeing, mental health
and addiction.
MHERC has been supporting
people in Christchurch for over
21 years, helping Cantabrians
find the right services to support
them and their loved ones, and
providing information and
community education to enhance
wellbeing. Whether you are
concerned about someone you
care for, dealing with mental
illness yourself, working in the
mental health sector, studying, or
seeking a deeper understanding
of wellbeing and mental health
issues, MHERC’s library has a
range of resources.
The Centre’s free public library
has over 3,300 items and covers
topics such as; relationships
(raising teenagers, working with
difficult people), mental illness
(anxiety, depression), wellbeing
(happiness, positive psychology),
practical resources (mediation
and relaxation DVDs), children’s
resources (coping with grief) and
much more. Their friendly staff
will help you find what you are
looking for.
You can search MHERC’s
online library catalogue and
directory at www.mherc.org.nz
and visit 116 Marshland Road in
Shirley Monday-Friday 9.00-
4.30pm.
9