Hepatitis B & C
Introduction
Maslaha developed an online resource - Understandhepbandc.org – that aims to increase awareness and understanding of hepatitis B and C amongst the Pakistani community in East London, and is suitable for both community members and GPs/medical practitioners.
The Need
Both hepatitis B and C are viruses which affect the liver. In the UK, 215,000 people are thought to be infected with chronic hepatitis C, and 180,000 with chronic hepatitis B. Many cases go untested and undiagnosed due to low levels of knowledge amongst both community members and GPs, particularly within South Asian communities. Both hepatitis B and C can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis, with possible fatal outcomes. Chronic viral hepatitis B and C is known as the ‘silent epidemic’, as both viruses can be asymptomatic for decades, and only present once it is too late for treatment.
What We Did
We worked in partnership with Barts Charity, Professor Graham Foster at Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, the Hepatitis C Trust and Pakistani communities to produce a resource that encouraged early diagnosis in a primary care context. The resource consists of a website – Understandhepbandc.org – and a series of short films in English and Urdu which combine medical and cultural guidance. A poster and DVD containing the films is available to order via the project website: understandhepbandc.org/for-doctors.html
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Copyright © 2009 Michael Bonert.
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