Community
23 March, 2024
Boost for Hep. B study
AN EXTENSIVE research and Hepatitis B program for First Nations people has been granted a $50,000 grant as part of the $254,000 worth of grants awarded by the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation for researchers and clinicians helping create better outcomes for FNQ patients.
Eighteen competitive grants ranging from $5000 to $50,000 were awarded last Friday, March 15, to dedicated researchers and clinicians in the region for their targeted research focused on issues affecting Far North Queenslanders.
Cairns Hospital hepatitis research registered nurse and research assistant Sharna Radlof received the biggest grant worth $50,000 for her work delivering comprehensive care to remote communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients living with Hepatitis B in FNQ.
“It’s amazing to have received this grant, we’ll be using it solely for the care of Hepatitis B patients in the region,” she said.
“Our aim is to improve and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with chronic Hepatitis B. We’ve found significant ways in which the illness affects both and we’d really like to continue supporting them and providing an optimal service.
“At the moment we’re looking at childbearing women with Hepatitis B and wanting to engage them into care which we’ve doing great so far, we haven’t had a positive Hepatitis B notification since 2014 and we’d like to continue supporting these mothers through pregnancy so there is no birth transmission.
“The main goal with this grant is to know how we can help and support these people and how we can work together to eliminate Hepatitis B by 2030.”
Since 2007, the foundation has committed more than $1.75 million to increase research capacity within the Far North.
“These grants have been key to clinicians, researchers and scientists in the Far North to actually develop research questions and answer those questions that improve the care of residents of FNQ,” said acting director of research at Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service and foundation board member Dr Eddy Strivens.
He said many researchers from southeast Queensland had been visiting the region.
“Research that’s developed locally and performed locally will have an impact on local care,” he said.
