Victorians urged to know their hepatitis status with testing down

It is a leading cause of a cancer, but an alarming 55,000 Aussies — including 22,000 Victorians — do not know if they have this virus infection. Here’s what to do about it.

There’s been an 18.2 per cent decrease in the number of hepatitis blood tests between 2020 and 2022 in Victoria.

Every Australian born before the year 2000 who is unaware of their hepatitis B status should be screened for the viral infection.

The urgent call for a national screening program comes as new research shows an alarming 55,000 Australians may unknowingly have hepatitis B, more than 20,000 are living in Victoria.

The Doherty Institute’s Viral hepatitis Mapping Project has found an 18.2 per cent decrease in the number of hepatitis blood tests between 2020 and 2022 in Victoria.

Cancer Council Victoria says while this is partly due to the pandemic, it may also be because liver cancer does not have the same high profile as other cancers. Hepatitis B and C account for most cases of liver cancer in Australia.

It is now joining the call for Victorians to get tested with executive officer Todd Harper saying the alarming rate of people losing their life to liver cancer is growing faster than any other type of cancer Australia.

Mr Harper says urgent action is needed, including a major public awareness and education campaign.

“We would love to see a sustained campaign of community education to encourage people to talk about the issue and work with communities to encourage them to be engaging in conversations,” he said.

Ben Cowie says hepatitis B has been called the silent disease.

“Most people have no symptoms; it is usually passed on from a mother to a child and it is there in the liver causing damage over many years and often not diagnosed until it is too late when people get liver failure or liver cancer,” he said.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Professor Cowie is director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral hepatitis at the Doherty Institute and says this is unacceptable when hepatitis B is so easily treatable.

“It is an absolute disaster because while it is not curable, there is a daily pill with almost no side effects that can treat hepatitis B and it prevents liver cancer,” Professor Cowie said.

“We have had simple blood tests for hepatitis B for over 50 years.”

He said Australia’s low progress in scaling up diagnosis, care and treatment for hepatitis B was costing lives.

“We must urgently act to save these lives lost to a preventable cancer,” Professor Cowie said.

He said early diagnosis and intervention can prevent 75 per cent of liver failure or liver cancer.

A national immunisation program from the year 2000 means that those born after that time are protected.

“It’s important that Victorians are diagnosed with hepatitis to ensure health professionals can provide appropriate monitoring and treatment as this is one of the best preventive actions against liver cancer.”

He said the national immunisation program added hepatitis B in 2000 so people born after that time should be protected.

Professor Cowie says both the Federal Government and the Victorian Government are considering universal screening programs as part of their strategies to eliminate hepatitis B as a public health concern by 2030.

The Fourth National hepatitis B Strategy 2023–2030 is open for public consultation with universal testing with informed consent for adults a key action being considered.

The Victorian hepatitis B Plan 2022-2030 has as key actions “working with the Commonwealth to accelerate efforts to develop a universal screening approach”.

The Plan also supports introducing universal hepatitis B testing that offers every Victorian adult the opportunity to know their status, “through a cost-effective, consent-based and non-stigmatising approach”.

Professor Cowie believes a decision on a screening program could come as early as the end of the year.

Cancer Council Victoria says liver cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer-related death in Victoria.

A spokesperson for the Victorian Government said they remained “focused on achieving our aim to eliminate hepatitis B in Victoria”.

“We know there’s always more work to be done – that is why we continue to provide funding to a range of organisations promoting the prevention, testing, treatment and education of the disease.”

“This Friday marks World Hepatitis Day and we encourage Victorians to use this as a timely reminder to talk to their GP about testing.”

Originally published as Victorians urged to know their hepatitis status with testing down