Peak health bodies are calling on the Coalition to commit to funding what they say are urgently-needed Hepatitis B treatment and awareness programs.
The Labor government recently announced more than five-million dollars in funding for Hepatitis B programs.
But the health bodies are concerned that a Coalition government would not keep the funding.
Laura Murphy-Oates reports.
Hepatitis B is one of the most common viral infections in the world.
The World Health Organisation estimates that two-billion people worldwide are currently infected.
Tens-of-thousands of them are estimated to be in Australia, many not even aware they've contracted it.
Left alone, the infection can develop into deadly liver cancer - which is killing over 1000 Australians a year and rising.
New figures from the Cancer Council of Australia show that deaths from liver cancer, unlike almost all other forms of cancer, have increased dramatically in the past 20 years.
Gill Batt, from the Council, says says the biggest contributor to liver cancer is undiagnosed Hepatitis B.
"Liver cancer is now in the top two of all deaths and most of the liver cancers are due to hepatitis. And we know that in Australia there's about 200,000 people with Hepatitis B but only about half of them have been properly tested and therefore are taking steps to control the Hepatitis B. If it's uncontrolled we know that it leads to about 80% of liver cancers."
Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek announced $5.6 million in Hepatitis B funding in early August.
The Hepatitis Council of Australia describes this as a landmark commitment to tackling the infection.
But CEO Helen Tyrell has serious concerns that come September, a new Coalition government may not commit to the same funding.
"We have requested the Liberal Party to confirm that they will honour this commitment made by Tanya Plibersek. The funding as we understand it is in the budget. It's not an election promise and we've drawn that to the attention of the Liberal Party and asked them to confirm that that funding will be retained."
Hepatitis B is most commonly found in Asian and African countries worldwide.
In highly endemic areas, it is most commonly spread from mother-to-child at birth or from person-to person in early childhood.
One of Australia's leading viral hepatitis experts, Dr Ben Cowie, says the majority of people living with Hepatitis B never require specific treatment.
However he says for those that do, early detection and treatment is vital.
"The most recent data we have suggests that for people who are appropriately treated for Hepatitis B with antiviral medication, the risk of liver cancer in those people drops by up to 75% in only around 5 years so appropriate antiviral treatment for hepatitis B does definitely prevent liver cancer."
Gill Batt from the Cancer Council says whilst a vacinne for the infection was introduced in Australia in the 1980s, many migrants come to Australia without knowing they have contracted it.
According to one national survey, more than two-thirds of Australian Hepatitis B sufferers are from indigenous or migrant backgrounds.
Ms Batt says the few programs in Australia aimed at educating these communities about the infection are often run by charities.
"There's actually not that many programs that have been focusing on really trying to identify people with Hepatitis B and therefore helping then them treat the disease and therefore prevent liver cancer."
Nafissa Yussf was diagnosed with Hepatitis B in 2007.
Nafissa and her family migrated from Somalia to Australia when she was 12 and Nafissa contracted the virus from her mother.
She says in her Somali community in the Melbourne suburb of Ascot Vale, there are a lot of misconceptions around what Hepatitis actually B is.
"They don't think it's that serious. They only have on word for it which is hepatitis and they don't differentiate which one it is . And there's also a lot of traditional medicine and thinking that western medicine doesn't work. There's heaps of misconceptions around."
Nafissa Yussf believes that government funding to educate her community about Hepatitis B is sorely needed.
"Generally Somali people are really private people and they don't go out there and talk about health issues. I mean if you can imagine if you don't speak much English and you aren't aware of where to seek support then it is quite tough."
Gill Batts from the Cancer Council also believes government funding for awareness and treatment programs is long overdue.
"Really what we need is a concerted effort at a government level to make sure that people who have got Hepatitis B get the treatment they need and try and reverse this incredible rise in liver cancer deaths."
