Gippsland health workers unite to fight hepatitis

Gippsland health workers are banding together to fight one of the most pressing and misunderstood illnesses - viral hepatitis.
The first step was one of what is aimed to be regular forums to discuss the condition, the services that currently exist to deal with it and where any gaps exist.
Gippsland Region Public Health Unit is responsible for managing and responding to health issues in the region and to make sure workers in the viral hepatitis area have support.
A recent forum brought together doctors, nurses, community workers and speakers from non-government agencies.
Hepatitis covers a number of conditions that cause inflammation to the liver.
Hepatitis A can result from contaminated food or water, hepatitis B by contact with blood or bodily fluids from an infected person and hepatitis C is caused by blood-to-blood contact from an infected person.
Operation director at GRPHU Annelies Titulaer said the discussions among health workers increased their knowledge of hepatitis, an illness that can have long term impacts of a person's life but which is largely preventable through adoption of safe practices and the use of vaccines and treatments.