Driving
Change
Through Lived
Experience
Empowering South Asian communities across the UK through culturally informed health awareness, peer‑led engagement, and trusted collaboration.
2.3%
Hep C carrier rate
10M+
Affected in South Asia
4+
Languages
Our Mission
SAHAE Global Ltd
To improve health and wellbeing within South Asian communities by raising awareness, building trust, overcoming stigma, and empowering individuals through lived experience and culturally informed engagement.
2.3%
Hep C rate
S. Asian communities
10M+
Affected in
South Asia (WHO)
4+
Languages
we work in
"Driving Change Through Lived Experience"
Our Mission
To improve health and wellbeing within South Asian communities by raising awareness, building trust, overcoming stigma, and empowering individuals through lived experience and culturally informed engagement.
SAHAE Global Ltd
Raising Awareness
Providing communities with clear, culturally relevant health information to make informed decisions.
Building Trust
Fostering genuine relationships through lived experience, cultural understanding, and community presence.
Overcoming Stigma
Creating safe spaces to talk openly about health, tackling cultural taboos head-on with empathy.
Empowering Individuals
Equipping community members with tools, knowledge, and peer support to take charge of their health.
What We Do
We bridge the gap between South Asian communities and health services through culturally sensitive outreach, peer support, and sector collaboration.
Community Outreach
Reaching South Asian communities directly through trusted peer volunteers, local events, and grassroots networks to normalise health conversations.
Health Awareness
Delivering targeted education on hepatitis C, diabetes, mental health, and other conditions disproportionately affecting South Asian communities.
Peer Support
Connecting individuals with lived experience mentors who understand cultural nuances — offering guidance, empathy, and signposting to services.
Multilingual Support
Information and resources available in Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Hindi, and English to ensure no one is left behind.
Sector Collaboration
Partnering with NHS trusts, local authorities, charities, and private health providers to create joined-up, culturally competent care pathways.
Testing & Referral
Facilitating access to health screening and ensuring smooth referral pathways so individuals can get tested and treated quickly and confidently.
2.3%
Hepatitis C carrier rate in South Asian communities
0.5%
General UK population carrier rate
10M+
People in South Asia living with Hepatitis C
4
Languages we communicate in
About Ms Shabana Begum
Consultant & Founder
Ms Shabana Begum
SAHAE Global Ltd · Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Patient Expert & Advocate — Lived Experience
Shabana is a Hepatitis C survivor — tested and treated in 2004/2005, over 21 years ago. She experienced stigma from family and friends firsthand, giving her a unique and deeply personal understanding of why many people within South Asian communities choose to disassociate from Hepatitis C and other Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs).
As a Patient Expert and Advocate, Shabana brings language skills and the same cultural and religious values as the communities she serves. This shared background creates a natural element of trust that formal health services often struggle to establish on their own. She has since cleared the virus and channelled that lived experience into more than two decades of national-level health advocacy.
Shabana has worked across England, Scotland, and Wales with The Hepatitis C Trust, raising awareness with primary and secondary care providers and communities alike. She has travelled to Pakistan on a fact-finding mission to understand Hepatitis C transmission routes within South Asian populations — bringing that knowledge back to shape her outreach approach at home.
20+ Years of Impact
Hepatitis C Diagnosis & Treatment
Tested, treated and cleared Hepatitis C. Experienced stigma first-hand — the defining moment that shaped a lifetime of advocacy.
Pakistan Fact-Finding Mission
Travelled to Pakistan to investigate Hepatitis C transmission routes within South Asian communities and bring those learnings back to the UK.
National Awareness with The Hepatitis C Trust
Worked across England, Scotland and Wales, raising awareness with primary and secondary care providers and communities.
Community Screening & Testing Events
Facilitated testing events with NHS nursing teams, THCT peer support leads, community centres, Mosques, Temples, Gurdwaras, Melas and festivals.
Prison Healthcare
Worked alongside THCT staff and nurses in both male and female prisons, supporting BBV testing and awareness.
Regional, National & Global Campaigns
Panelist at conferences and summits; featured in radio and television interviews; contributed to social media, podcasts and global advocacy campaigns.
Patient Support Through Treatment
Supports patient engagement with Hepatitis C nurses and guides individuals through the treatment journey with empathy and lived understanding.
As Featured In
World Hepatitis Alliance
Hep Voice Magazine · Issue 61, July–September 2023
"Education helps to reduce stigma and helps people understand that it is not your fault if you have hepatitis C."
— Shabana Begum
Shabana's Story — World Hepatitis Alliance
Hear directly from Shabana about her lived experience with Hepatitis C, the stigma she overcame, and her mission to empower South Asian communities.
Video courtesy of the World Hepatitis Alliance
Ready to Work Together?
Whether you are an NHS trust, a charity, a local authority, or a community group — we would love to hear from you.