South Asian community programme
Find out more about how we raise awareness of hepatitis C in South Asian communities in the UK.
What we do
Despite 1 in 50 people from South Asian communities living in the UK being at risk of hepatitis C, uptake of testing services remains low.
We work to ensure that South Asian communities across the country have access to education, testing and treatment for hepatitis C.
Our dedicated South Asian Community team lead awareness and testing events within the South Asian community at melas, mosques and other community centres in partnership with community leaders and local health authorities.
The project’s goal is to raise awareness of the hepatitis C virus in South Asian communities and to encourage people to come forward for testing and treatment.
Finger prick testing is offered to anyone who wants it. Its simplicity and speed means more people are willing to take the test. Those testing positive are referred to local services.
Help us reach your community!
If you think people in your community would benefit from hepatitis C education and testing, we would love to speak to you about running a testing event near you.
Reducing stigma
One challenge in increasing testing and treatment in South Asian communities is the issue of stigma.
Hepatitis C is a medical condition that carries a lot of stigma, usually because people do not understand enough about it.
People who experience stigma may feel like they are being left out of activities in their community or may experience hostility from others.
We work to challenge stigma through providing education and support.
At our testing events, our team is on hand to provide information about hepatitis C – including written information in a number of different languages.
We can also offer hepatitis C training courses to community leaders or anyone that works with people who might be at risk of the virus.
Help us develop a training session
Contact us today to discuss how we can help you and your organisation develop a hepatitis C awareness training session that is right for you.
Supporting you
We have a number of peer volunteers who are part of different South Asian communities and have personal experience of hepatitis C. Whether they have gone through treatment themselves or have taken care of close family members living with hepatitis C, our volunteers can use their experience to help support you.
If you would like to be put in touch with a peer volunteer, please get in touch with our team.