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As part of their commitment towards elimination of hepatitis C in England, Gilead Sciences have created a first-of-its-kind collaboration with leading British South Asian comedians, The Hepatitis C Trust and the support of NHS England. Their campaign, Hep C, Ki?, uses an unconventional approach of comedy to breakdown barriers of stigma and fuel light-hearted conversations about South Asian idiosyncrasies, that intersect with the risk factors for contracting hepatitis C.
Hep C, Ki?, which broadly translates in colloquial terms from many South Asian languages as Hep C, What?, is built on insights from a survey of 300 people from British South Asian communities, as well as input from healthcare professionals and regional hepatitis C Operational Delivery Networks.
At the heart of the campaign is the comedy narrative written and performed by prime-time comedians Eshaan Akbar, Sukh Ojla and Ali Shahalom (Ali Official). The comedians filmed a series of stand-up and chat sequences exploring a range of topics from travels to their ancestral homelands, family attitudes to health and their eclectic mix of home medicines and remedies.
Ali Official commented on his involvement in the campaign: “I wasn’t aware that five times more British South Asians have hepatitis C than the wider UK population. Those of us who take family visits to the “motherland” can often miss or overlook the areas of risk associated with hepatitis C – be it unsanitised needles at a hospital, or razors at a barber.”
“As a creator from a minority background, I felt compelled to lend my voice to something that could help my community. Humour can have such a powerful way of making you see things in a different light and I’d like to think this campaign has delivered a message in a unique way that hasn’t been explored before and encourages people to get tested.”
Individuals born in countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, along with those who regularly visit or spend extended periods of time in these countries, have a higher risk of contracting hepatitis C.2 The number of people testing positive for hepatitis C is 1.1% in British Asian communities compared to 0.2% for the wider UK population.1 Risk factors for hepatitis C can include common everyday practices when overseas, such as receiving medical, dental or cosmetic treatment if equipment such as needles are not sterilised properly.2
Professor Graham Foster, Professor of Hepatology at the Queen Mary University Hospital and Clinical Chair of NHS England’s hepatitis C elimination programme, said: “Hepatitis C is a treatable virus, which is why it’s so important to share relevant information about testing and treatment with the British South Asian community, as well as everyone who can benefit from expert care and support. By using comedy as a vehicle to get this message out, we can provide an accessible way to talk about this very important public health issue and in turn take steps towards hepatitis C elimination, and ultimately save lives.”
The full videos are available at www.hepc.co.uk, along with more information about the campaign. NOTES TO EDITORS
About Hep C, Ki?
Hep C, Ki? is a disease awareness programme that has been developed and funded by Gilead Sciences Ltd. The project is part of a tender with NHS England to support the elimination of hepatitis C ahead of the World Health Organisation (WHO) goal of 2030. Gilead is committed to raising awareness of hepatitis C risk factors and the potential life-threatening impact of the virus in all at- risk groups, which includes those in British South Asian communities.1,3
For any queries about the Hep C, Ki? programme please visit www.hepc.co.uk
Support for those at risk or affected by hepatitis C
The Hepatitis C Trust offer a confidential helpline to support people affected by hepatitis C and those that think they may be at risk. The helpline number is 020 7089 6221.
The helpline is open 10.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays and over the Christmas break, when dates and times may vary). Please note, the helpline is managed and run by The Hepatitis C Trust and has no link to Gilead Sciences.
1 Hepatitis C Trust. South Asian outreach. Available at: http://hepctrust.org.uk/services/south-asian-outreach Last accessed: May 2021.
2 Royal College of General Practitioners. Guidance for the prevention, testing, treatment and management of Hepatitis C in primary care. Available at: http://www.hepctrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/Prevention-Testing-Treat... management-of-hep-C-in-primary-care%281%29.pdf Last accessed: May 2021.
3 NHS. Hepatitis C. Available at: https://nhs.uk/conditions/hepatitis-c Last accessed: May 2021.
