The federal Health Department is proposing to offer universal hepatitis B testing for all adults in Australia in an effort to eliminate hepatitis B as a public health threat by 2030. This new strategy is a departure from previous testing guidelines that targeted at-risk communities, such as people born in North and South-east Asia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The proposal aims to ensure that all Australians know their hepatitis status, to connect people to regular monitoring, treatment, and education to prevent transmission. Currently, universal testing for hepatitis B only occurs during pregnancy, but the new proposal would expand testing to all adults.
The universal testing for hepatitis B is likely to be delivered in primary care settings, such as GP clinics. Cancer Council Victoria chief executive Todd Harper emphasized the importance of increased testing and clinical care to prevent deaths linked to chronic hepatitis B. The rollout of universal hepatitis B vaccines for babies born in Australia since 2000 has reduced local transmission and protected individuals under the age of 25 against the virus. Many people can have hepatitis B for decades without needing antiviral treatment, as their immune system can suppress the virus. However, the virus can suddenly reactivate, leading to liver damage and an increased risk of liver cancer.
Lien Tran, a health researcher from Vietnam, discovered she had hepatitis B when she was 18 years old and about to study abroad on a scholarship. Devastated by the news, Tran thought she was going to die, as her grandmother had died from liver cancer suspected to be linked to hepatitis B. However, after researching the infection online, Tran became complacent about her condition until she started thinking about having children. She regularly monitored her infection and ensured her children received hepatitis B immunizations and injections of antibodies at birth to prevent contracting the disease. Tran is co-founder of Hepatitis B Voices Australia, a charity that aims to improve health outcomes and reduce stigma associated with the condition.
Hepatitis B is not part of routine blood tests, so many people are unaware they have the infection until serious liver damage has occurred. Hepatitis Australia chief executive Lucy Clynes emphasized the importance of testing and linking individuals to treatment to reduce the risk of liver cancer and other serious complications. Liver cancer is the seventh most common cause of cancer death in Australia, and those diagnosed with liver cancer have a lower chance of survival compared to other cancers, highlighting the importance of early detection and treatment for hepatitis B. The proposal for universal hepatitis B testing for adults in Australia aims to improve health outcomes and prevent transmission of the virus.
