The South East Public Health Unit (SEPHU) is running a pilot to connect people who have recently arrived in Australia with a General Practice that can provide clinical management of Hepatitis B and C. Optimising links into care is crucial to eliminating viral hepatitis. You can contact SEPHU on SEPHU.Trace@monashhealth.org   

SEPHU is working with the Victorian Department of Health to deliver tailored public health actions. South Eastern Melbourne has a large CALD population and SEPHU is piloting the role of Cultural Liaison Officer to enhance the follow-up of notifiable communicable diseases. 

The Cultural Liaison Officer is supporting new migrants and refugees with Hepatitis B and C to negotiate the health system and prevent patients falling through the gaps. We are seeking GPs and Nurse Practitioners who want to help. 

Your General Practice would work with the Cultural Liaison Officer and a maximum of 5 patients in a year (more Hepatitis B than C cases) depending on language spoken and location.

You would be asked to:  

• Provide clinical care and management for people from CALD backgrounds with viral hepatitis B and C and their contacts who are at risk of infection, for example the Hepatitis B vaccination of household contacts. 
• Guide access to other appropriate healthcare services thus helping to navigate the health system.  

Although this project focuses on viral hepatitis among CALD populations, SEPHU acknowledges that other communicable diseases are also more prevalent in CALD communities. A benefit of this project is that it is likely generalisable to the management of other notifiable conditions impacting CALD communities. 

We hope this project will develop collaborative partnerships that tackle health disparities in our local communities.

If you wish to participate in supporting the management of hepatitis B and/or C in CALD communities, managing notified conditions in general in CALD communities or require further information, please contact SEPHU.Trace@monashhealth.org