Identified in 1983 by Australian Nobel prize winners Marshall and Warren, H. pylori is linked to a spectrum of disease including non-ulcer dyspepsia, peptic ulcer, gastric cancer and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Infection is estimated to be present in about 30% of adult Australians, though not uniformly distributed in the population. Prevalence is higher in immigrants, those of lower socioeconomic status and the institutionalised.