ABOUT US
Our History
Hepatitis B Free is an Australian registered tax-concession, not-for-profit charity. We are run by volunteers based in Sydney, Australia. Our volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and professions, including doctors, nurses, allied health, lawyers, technologists and students.
We were founded in 2013 by a group of five Australian doctors and nurses. The team was led by Professor Alice Lee, a gastroenterologist and hepatologist with expertise in viral hepatitis, and Sue Huntley, a clinical researcher with a background in nursing. Galvanised by their experience in remote Papua New Guinea, where they travelled on foot to vaccinate and provide basic health clinics for tribal villages, they decided to continue taking action towards addressing the huge unaddressed need of hepatitis B in resource-poor areas.
Our Mission
To educate, improve access to care, provide hope, and advocate for people and communities affected by hepatitis
Our Vision
A world free of hepatitis
We share a Global Goal of the Elimination of Hepatitis B
The World Health Organization has called for the elimination of hepatitis B by 2030.
Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 states that “by 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases”.
Our Values
1. Equity
We believe that healthcare is a human right.
2. Respect
We pledge to have the utmost regard for the feelings, wishes, rights and traditions of all people we serve. We strive to provide compassionate care through culturally sensitive programs.
3. Partnership
We work cooperatively with our supporters, local health workers, patients, families, communities, and governmental and non-governmental organisations.
4. Education
We empower health workers with knowledge and skills, promote health awareness within communities, and identify local champions who can advocate for hepatitis education, prevention and treatment.
5. Evidence
We follow current international and local guidelines when delivering hepatitis services such as vaccination, testing and treatment.
6. Sustainability
We design programs to be economically viable and plan to hand them over to local health workers, so our projects have long-lasting impact. We work hard to stretch every dollar as far as possible by minimizing costs and using 100% of public donations towards our programs.
7. Transparency
We strive to openly disseminate information about each of our activities to our volunteers, donors and the general public.
Join the Team
Our organisation is a growing team of passionate and supportive volunteers from diverse backgrounds. Our group to date has included doctors, nurses, optometrists, pharmacists, university and high school students, lawyers, accountants and technologists.