• 5.3 million are infected, at risk for liver cancer
• New treatments and increased community screenings for National Hepatitis Awareness Month
• 10 percent of Asian Americans infected with hepatitis B
SAN FRANCISCO, California — Local and national organizers launched the largest multifaceted campaign of its kind against the viral hepatitis epidemic in five hardest hit US cities by holding screening events combined with a televised advertising drive in the month of May in an effort to reach up to 21 million Americans.
The US Department of Health and Human Services estimates that up to 5.3 million Americans are infected with viral hepatitis and at risk for liver cancer or liver cirrhosis.
Most do not even know that they are infected. Hepatitis infection is the leading cause of liver cancer, and liver cancer is the second deadliest cancer in the United States. In 2007, deaths due to viral hepatitis outpaced deaths due to HIV.
Promising new treatments for hepatitis C and an updated National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan released by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services last month, are helping to spur increased activities to raise awareness about this deadly disease and to get people tested to find out their status and get treatment if necessary to prevent liver damage.
Newly FDA approved treatments for hepatitis C have shown a greater than 90 percent cure rate and many more treatments will be on the market in the next year. Last June, federal recommendations were released urging all persons born between 1945 through 1965 to be tested for hepatitis C, along with those who have been at risk.
New guidelines will soon be released that recommend hepatitis B testing for all Asian/Pacific Islanders and other at-risk groups. Hepatitis B infection can be prevented with a vaccine and treatments are available to prevent the disease from developing into liver cancer.
Hepatitis testing campaigns will be conducted in all five cities, and community rallies will be organized for the following dates:
· Seattle – May 10, Rainier Community Health Center. https://sea.heptesting.org
· Chicago – May 15, Illinois State Capitol, Springfield. https://chi.heptesting.org
· New York – May 15, New York City Hall Steps. https://ny.heptesting.org
· Los Angeles – May 16, St. Vincent Medical Center. https://la.heptesting.org
· San Francisco – May 17, Asian Heritage Street Celebration. https://sf.heptesting.org
For a full listing of hepatitis testing activities occurring in cities throughout the nation, please visit https://www.cdcnpin.org/HTD/HTD.aspx.
The televised public service announcements will run from May 17 to May 19, in the New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle markets, with additional website advertising from May 13 to May 19.
The PSAs feature a call for hepatitis testing as a way to prevent liver cancer and include a unique URL for each city that links to local hepatitis resources and screening events. The PSAs were produced as part of a partnership between AsianWeek Foundation, the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable and CBS HealthWatch.
The month of May has been designated National Hepatitis Awareness Month and May 19 has been designated National Hepatitis Testing Day, with May 15 designated as National Hispanic Hepatitis Awareness Day.
“This is an amazing collaboration to end the hepatitis epidemic in America: from the commitment of the federal government with an updated national action plan, to the massive reach of CBS HealthWatch in spreading the message, to the work on the ground being done by local communities,” commented Ted Fang, Executive Director of AsianWeek Foundation and co-founder of the San Francisco Hep B Free campaign.
“This is a vital multi-faceted approach for educating the public about the need for viral hepatitis testing,” said Ryan Clary, Executive Director of National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable. “We are proud to be part of this coalition and building private/public partnerships to end viral hepatitis liver disease in America.”
“It’s a critical time to raise awareness and get tested for viral hepatitis because we now have the tools we need to help people who are infected and to save lives,” said Howard K. Koh, MD,MPH, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health. “And thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more Americans will have access to preventive vaccines and treatments for this ‘silent epidemic.’”
The majority of liver cancer and advanced liver disease in the world are attributable to chronic infections of viral hepatitis. Hepatitis claims the lives of 12,000 to 18,000 American every year.
Several minorities are disproportionately impacted by hepatitis. For example, hepatitis B is the greatest health disparity for both African immigrants and Asian Americans affecting approximately 10 percent of both groups. For Hispanics in America, liver cancer incidence rates are about twice as high in Hispanics as in non-Hispanic whites.