International Community Health Services (ICHS) and the Hepatitis B Coalition of Washington recently highlighted the power of storytelling as a tool to raise awareness of Hepatitis B. Although often at greater risk, many within U.S. immigrant and minority communities are reluctant to speak openly about the bloodborne disease, increasing the chances of developing serious health issues, including liver cancer.

On May 10, ICHS and the coalition jointly hosted the 2018 Annual Community Forum on Hepatitis B, inviting community leaders, health advocates and organizations to hear speakers from the #Just B Story Telling Project share firsthand experiences. Afterwards, attendees discussed how Hepatitis B continues to disproportionately affect the Asian Pacific Islander and African immigrant and refugee communities and renewed their commitment to raise awareness and knowledge about the disease.

“This was our first live storytelling event, so we weren’t sure what to expect,” said Mohammed Abdul-Kadir, Hepatitis Coalition of Washington coordinator. “Our courageous and well-trained storytellers effectively demonstrated how the sharing of authentic human experiences immediately breaks down barriers. Attendees were engaged, leading to an especially vibrant post-presentation discussion.”

“It was very powerful to hear the stories of people whose lives have been impacted by the Hepatitis B virus,” said an attendee. Another described the forum as “phenomenal.”

Abdul-Kadir was recently asked to share best practices in reducing cultural, linguistic and systemic barriers to Hepatitis B care by PRIME Education, LLC (PRIME®), a leader in quality improvement education. On May 23, Abdul-Kadir participated in a taping of a training video that will soon be offered to medical providers as part of PRIME’s continuing education curriculum.