Kim enjoys sharing hepatitis B information with local Vietnamese community as much as the community finds them useful.

“I really enjoy helping my community with hepatitis B information and look after their wellbeing,” Kim Trang Ha, the community development officer of Sydney Local Health District’s Diversity Hub said.

Even though the project was disrupted by COVID-19, since starting in August 2020, the Vietnamese community hepatitis B project delivered more than 12 education sessions and reached over 200 community members.

A large proportion of Australians living with chronic hepatitis B are unaware that they are infected, and many of them were born in countries such as Vietnam where hepatitis B is very common. If left untreated, chronic hepatitis B can lead to liver damage, cancer and even death.

The Vietnamese community workshops aims to raise awareness of hepatitis B and encourage them to get testing and treatment. It is also aimed at increasing community access to hepatitis B services and decreasing stigmas towards people with chronic hepatitis B.

'Most of the participants were in their 50s or higher, and currently we have more male participants than previous projects,' said Kim.

'Many of our participants don’t know if they have hepatitis B. In many cases, people weren’t aware until it’s too late to find out.'

'Feedbacks suggest community members found our sessions very informative, interesting, and enjoyable. Many of them said that they were going to get hepatitis B blood test soon after attending the session to find out if they have the virus.'

'I am so pleased that they decided to take the next step and look after themselves with a simple blood test to find out their hepatitis B status,' said Kim.

For more information on the Vietnamese Hepatitis B Project, contact Wa-el Sabri, Senior Community Engagement Officer on 9515 1234 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Vietnamese hepatitis B messages are featured on a 2023 calendar launched by the Multicultural HIV and Hepatitis Service.

The new spiral wall calendar includes 12 full-colour easy-to-turn pages that introduce key hepatitis B messages and names of health services working with the Vietnamese community. It follows a suite of initiatives undertaken by the Vietnamese Hepatitis B community development project in 2022.

"We are committed to increasing awareness of hepatitis B in the community and hope that our calendar will provide useful information about hepatitis B testing and treatment," said Wa-el Sabri, Senior Community Engagement Officer at Diversity Hub of SLHD.

"We will be delighted if our calendars are on the walls of NSW Vietnamese families and helps them know more about hepatitis B and encourage them to seek hepatitis B testing and treatment on time."

 The calendar also celebrates the spirit of the Vietnamese community facing what is a serious health issue together, according to Barbara Luisi, Director of the Diversity Programs and Strategy Hub.

“Many people volunteered to be photographed for our calendar and be part of an initiative to fight the stigma of living with hepatitis B. People from all walks of life came together to take ownership of the issue. Key services with known history of working closely with the community collaborated on the project.

Download a copy of our Vietnamese calendar here.

For more information on the Vietnamese Hepatitis B Project, contact Wa-el Sabri, Senior Community Engagement Officer on 9515 1234 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We are pleased to support the 2022 Multicultural Health Week (5-11 September). The Multicultural Health Week highlights the importance of embracing language and culture in our health services. It also provides an opportunity to raise awareness about health challenges facing our multicultural communities. This year’s Cancer Screening Saves Lives theme raises awareness of cancer screening, to increase bowel, breast, and cervical cancer screening among CALD communities.

The 2021 Census data show more than 29 per cent of all New South Wales residents were born overseas and more than 30 per cent speak a language other than English at home.

Partner with us
Get in touch with us at the Diversity Programs and Strategy Hub if you would like to organise an in-language cancer screening information session for your community. Sessions are available on bowel, breast, and cervical cancer screening, in Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, Korean, Mongolian, or Vietnamese languages.


 
A range of multilingual cancer screening resources are also available on www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/events/multicultural-health-week/2022/cancer-screening-resources-by-language.

For more information on CALD health in the District, please contact Barbara Luisi, Director, Diversity Programs and Strategy Hub at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 9515 1234.

Every year on 28th July, World Hepatitis Day is observed to raise global awareness of hepatitis and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Sydney Local Health District is reminding local communities of the importance of hepatitis B testing for early diagnosis.

“Testing for hepatitis B can’t wait. Many people in our community are still unaware they may be living with chronic hepatitis B,” said Professor Benjamin Cowie, director of the Australian WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis at the Doherty Institute.

“Without care and treatment, hepatitis B can lead to liver cancer. Still in 2022 worldwide, a person dies every 30 seconds from a hepatitis related illness. Early diagnosis and timely treatment are the key to prevent these tragic outcomes. The only way to find out whether you have hepatitis B is to get tested,” added Professor Cowie.

The Are you living with hepatitis B? Find Out. Get Tested campaign encourages people from diverse communities to get tested for hepatitis B and look after their liver health. Campaign messages are available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.

“We are here to help our diverse communities take care of themselves and look after their liver health,” said Barbara Luisi, Director of Diversity Programs and Strategy Hub. “Our campaign gives quick access to culturally appropriate information so people can make informed decisions and take action.”

“We encourage community members to ask their doctor about hepatitis B and book a test. Hepatitis B testing is free if you have a Medicare card. If you don’t have a Medicare Card, most NSW Health Sexual Health Clinics can offer free testing. In Australia, all conversations with your doctor remain private,” added Ms Luisi.