A team of community-based researchers from Elcho Island made the long journey to Anchorage, Alaska to present their work at the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Viral Hepatitis in August.
For the three Indigenous researchers - Sarah Bukulatjpi, George Gurruwiwi and Roslyn Dhurrkay - it was also their first time overseas.
“It’s not just our people that have hepatitis; it’s all over the world,” said Sarah.
“In Galiwin’ku, people feel shame about HBV. People all over the world have this problem and are working on it.”
HBV infections can lead to liver failure and liver cancer. Up to 20 per cent of the Indigenous population of the NT are infected with HBV.