The Whakatane-based organisation is giving away a morning tea to the GP clinic with the most creative hepatitis display board. Entries are welcomed from around the country but foundation chief executive Susan Hay says she’d particularly like to see local entries. The foundation has a long history in the Eastern Bay; shortly after forming in 1984 it implemented a seroprevalence study that saw 93 percent of Kawerau’s population tested for hepatitis B. The results showed that the hepatitis B virus was highly endemic. The foundation now monitors about 25,000 people with chronic hepatitis B, including some from the Eastern Bay.
The morning tea competition was run last year with great results, and Susan says plenty of creative entries are anticipated again this year. To enter, GP clinic teams simply need to create a hepatitis display, take a photo and email it to us by July 26.
This competition is part of the foundation’s World Hepatitis Day promotions. World Hepatitis Day is celebrated around the world every July, giving people a chance to learn about hepatitis and highlighting the importance of getting tested if you think you may be at risk. The virus is the main cause of liver cancer in New Zealand, but this is preventable if hepatitis is monitored and liver cancer is detected early.
