Anyone can get liver disease – in fact 1 in 5 Australians have fatty liver disease and most people don’t know they have it. Left untreated, liver disease can lead to permanent liver damage such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Liver cancer is the fastest-growing cause of cancer death in Australia and has a low five-year survival rate of just 16 percent. The good news is most liver cancer is preventable.  

Lifestyle changes such as eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol intake and getting a hepatitis test can reduce the risk.

For patients with viral hepatitis, there are treatments that can cure or suppress the disease before it leads to the more serious problems caused by liver inflammation. Antiviral therapies can cure hepatitis C in 95 per cent of patients, and long-term treatment of hepatitis B can suppress the virus and reduce liver inflammation. 

Join Hepatitis Queensland's urgent mission this World Hepatitis Day. Help Queenslanders ‘Get Smart’ about liver health:

• Share Hepatitis Queensland's new liver health animation and download their campaign resources at www.liversmart.com.au  
• Promote liver health checks in your medical practice www.youtube.com/watch?v=XECzmS9bN3Y 

Get Smart About Your Liver – www.liversmart.com.au