1 in 5 people from a South Asian background are unaware that medical treatment in South Asia can put them at risk of the blood-borne virus a recent poll has found, ahead of the launch of a Department of Health advertising campaign to raise awareness of the virus.

The figures demonstrate that despite emerging evidence that the virus may affect more people from a South Asian background than the general population, awareness of the disease is still relatively low.

The poll also found that:

50% of people thought hepatitis C affected 20,000 people at the most in England (the real figure is actually around ten times higher than this)

28% were unaware that sharing ear and nose piercing equipment could put them at risk of hepatitis C

Only 38% of men and 55% of women actually knew that hepatitis C is a virus

To educate the community on the virus, which can cause serious liver disease, the Department has launched an advertising campaign explaining how the virus can be transmitted and encouraging people to assess their own risk.

The four-week advertising campaign, launched by the Department of Health’s FaCe It hepatitis C awareness campaign, will feature in top Asian newspapers and magazines and appear in national newspapers and on regional radio stations across England.

The campaign follows the launch of “My Story” - a music and information CD distributed across Asian melas and through retail and community outlets in the summer. The CD featured top Asian artists and included a frank interview with Shabana Begum, a Pakistani woman who has received successful treatment for hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus, so people visiting South Asia could be at risk by getting medical and dental treatment in centres where equipment is not sterilised between patients or visiting back street barbers where razors may be shared among many people. The virus can also be passed on, at home or abroad, for example, by sharing ear and nose piercing equipment.

Commenting on the launch of the advertising campaign, Dr Saket Singhal, consultant hepatologist and representative of the South Asian Health Foundation UK said:

“We are delighted to see the launch of this initiative to raise awareness of hepatitis C among the South Asian community in England. Hepatitis C is a serious illness that can cause serious liver disease if left untreated. We encourage anybody who thinks they may have been exposed to the virus to follow the advice to get tested,”

Launched in December 2004, the Department of Health’s hepatitis C awareness campaign ‘FaCe It’ aims to raise awareness of the virus and its prevention, diagnosis and treatment, while tackling the stigma, which is often attached to it.

It is estimated that around 200,000 people in England have hepatitis C and of this number, the majority are probably unaware of their condition since many experience no symptoms for a number of years. If undetected, hepatitis C can develop into cirrhosis or even liver cancer, and in a small proportion of cases, can be fatal.

Further information on hepatitis C is available at www.hepc.nhs.uk

The public can also call the Hepatitis C Information Line on 0800 451 451 (textphone 0800 0850859) from 7am-11pm, 7 days a week for confidential information and advice in a number of languages.

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