Working to fight hepatitis in Vanuatu
Acampaign to raise funds to help eradicate a disease that can be a “silent killer” in Vanuatu is gaining momentum in the Bay of Plenty, thanks to a raised awareness of the impacts of hepatitis B on the nation’s population.
“Hepatitis B affects as many as 14 per cent of the total population of Vanuatu — that’s one of the highest rates in the world,” says Tauranga gastroenterologist Dr Adrian Claydon who first became aware of how widespread the disease was around 18 months ago.
“Hepatitis B is a chronic health issue in Vanuatu. It’s a disease often contracted in childhood, that hides away from the immune system undetected for years. Over many years, the immune system tries to fight off the infection, leading to chronic liver disease that can ultimately cause liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. At this stage, it is often too late to treat.”
Concerned that the island nation would struggle to identify and treat up to 40,000 people who may have the disease, Adrian contacted Nell Dawson, who with husband Allan is the former owner of Aongatete Coolstore kiwifruit post-harvest facility.
Nell, who has a clinical background, was a senior manager at Tauranga Hospital, when she employed Adrian when he first came to New Zealand in 2001.
“I knew Nell and Allan had employed Ni-Van (Ni-Vanuatu) workers who came here to work in the kiwifruit industry so I asked if she thought the industry would be interested in helping out and the project snowballed from there.”
The project, Defeating Hepatitis B in Vanuatu, aims to raise at least $160,000 to support recruitment and training of medical workers and increase screening through simple blood tests. If the fundraising target is met it will also provide a new portable Fibroscan machine — a specialised ultrasound machine for the liver — which will help identify people with more advanced cases who can then be treated.
Adrian will work with local doctors to implement the project, alongside the World Health Organisation and the charity Hepatitis B Free which is led by Associate Professor Alice Lee of Macquarie University in Sydney.
Led by the Kiwifruit Industry Community Support Fund Inc, the fundraiser has a Give-a-little page which has received $10,000 from Zespri and close to $30,000 from private individuals and organisations.
Adrian is grateful for the help of Nell and the wider kiwifruit industry. “Allan and I have employed Ni-Van workers for 12 years. They absolutely helped us build our business because they are reliable, experienced, and highly skilled workers who came back year after year, leaving families behind for six months to earn money to pay for their children’s education and for housing. Right across New Zealand, they have given their heart and soul to their work in the horticultural industry. I think we underestimate how much they have given. It is time for the whole horticultural industry to give back to Vanuatu and its people,” says Nell.