Wall of Stories
“I want to share my story with others in the hope of showing those who are fighting viral hepatitis that they are not alone.”
Together, our stories
can change the way
the world sees viral
hepatitis. The stories
of those living with
or impacted by
viral hepatitis can
help educate and
raise awareness,
provide support
and inspiration,
tackle stigma and
discrimination, and
highlight the true
impact of this global
disease.
Each month we share the
story of someone whose life
has been affected by viral
hepatitis. This month, we
hear from Mariam from
Pakistan.
years ago, I was
“ Three
diagnosed with hepatitis
B during a regular pre-
employment screening. I did
not know anything about the
disease.
Being confronted with a
chronic illness generally is
crushing. Being diagnosed
with an infectious chronic
illness like hepatitis B can be
beyond overwhelming. The
fact that it is an infectious
disease not only contributes
towards stigma surrounding
its diagnosis, but can also
lead to an extreme sense
of paranoia for the patient.
Having an infection that I
cannot get rid of makes me
feel dirty, like I have to be
cautious and aware that
my blood is hazardous for
others. There is a fine line
between being cautious
and being engulfed by a
paralyzing sense of paranoia
threatening to push you into
isolation.
I have learnt that the
strongest weapon I can use
in my defense against this
16 hep Voice MARCH 2019
paranoia is my sense of
rationality and knowledge
about the disease that
shares my body. To fight it
holistically, it is imperative
that first you understand
the nature of this disease
in order to win the battle
in your mind—only then
will you be able to fight the
battle within your body.
Nearly 15 million people
live with hepatitis B in my
country Pakistan. There
are many reasons why this
disease, which is preventable
and treatable, is prevalent
in a developing country
like mine. Pakistan lacks a
proper healthcare system
that can implement effective
preventive methods. There
are no pregnancy screenings
or effective mechanisms to
ensure babies are vaccinated
against hepatitis B either.
For three years, I hid away
from my illness. I wanted
to disassociate myself
completely and so I tucked it
away, in the farthest corner
of my mind. I stopped going
to follow-ups and did not
share my story with friends
or family. I did not know
many people with whom
I felt safe talking about it,
whom I trusted to not see me
through the lens of stigma.
That was until one day when I
was at a fundraising event for
a charity cancer hospital and
got the chance to sit with a
doctor. He was a stranger and
a doctor so I felt safe telling
him why I’m so interested in
trying to understand where
my country stands in the
fight against hepatitis B—I
told him I was diagnosed
with it. He made me realise
that I need to go to my
follow-ups before I can make
a difference in combatting
hepatitis B.
The elimination of viral
hepatitis by 2030 is one
of the World Health
Organization’s Sustainable
Development Goals, but
we cannot achieve this
without dedicated efforts
by all stakeholders including
health-care professionals,
patients, media, and policy-
makers.
Today, I want to share my
story with others in the hope
of showing those who are
fighting viral hepatitis that
they are not alone.
Today, I am determined to
play my role in defeating this
disease.
”
See more stories and submit your own at
www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/wall-stories
“For three
years, I hid
away from my
illness.”
hep Voice
MARCH 2019 17