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Barriers to Accessing Testing and Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis B in Afghan, Rohingyan, and South Sudanese Populations in Australia

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Abstract

The burden of chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) infection and associated complications such as hepatocellular carcinoma is growing significantly in Australia due to increased migration from countries with a high prevalence of CHB. Significant barriers to screening and engagement with healthcare persist due to stigma and perceptions associated with CHB within these communities. Our study was a pilot intervention aimed at engaging Afghan, Rohingyan, and Sudanese populations into CHB care through an initial needs assessment. Twenty six patients from Afghan, Rohingyan, and Sudanese communities, identified in the Monash Health CHB database, participated in a combination of survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Language and cultural barriers, lack of HBV knowledge, housing and family reunification priorities associated with new settlement, as well as previous experiences of healthcare engagement were all identified as obstacles to accessing CHB care. Healthcare and health promotion workers should be sensitive to the additional health barriers associated with seeking asylum, as these barriers can take priority over the often asymptomatic and chronic nature of CHB. Communities with high prevalence of CHB require culturally relevant education tools delivered at a community level in order to improve their knowledge.

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Funding

This study was funded by an unrestricted education grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb, awarded to SL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Monash Health, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton VIC, 3126, Australia

    Katherine Sievert, Paul O’Neill, Anouk Dev & Suong Le

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Clayton VIC, Australia

    Katherine Sievert

  3. Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Science, Monash University, Clayton VIC, Australia

    Youlin Koh, Jia-Hui Lee & Anouk Dev

  4. School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton VIC, Australia

    Suong Le

Authors
  1. Katherine Sievert
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  2. Paul O’Neill
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  3. Youlin Koh
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  4. Jia-Hui Lee
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  5. Anouk Dev
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  6. Suong Le
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katherine Sievert.

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Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Sievert, K., O’Neill, P., Koh, Y. et al. Barriers to Accessing Testing and Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis B in Afghan, Rohingyan, and South Sudanese Populations in Australia. J Immigrant Minority Health 20, 140–146 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-017-0546-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-017-0546-z

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