Hep B United, a national coalition established by the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) to address the epidemic of hepatitis B, hosted its 11th annual summit in Washington, D.C., July 24-25. The summit brought together nearly 100 community leaders, advocates, clinicians, federal partners and people living with hepatitis B to discuss strategies and challenges towards eliminating hepatitis B in the U.S.
Asian Pacific Health Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization in San Diego, CA, was present with Binh Tran, PharmD, Co-Founder, and Khanh Vu, DO, Co-Executive Director, sharing experience working with patients and the community on Hepatitis B prevention in the community.
At the Summit, participants discussed innovative local and national programs to prevent, diagnose and treat hepatitis B. Discussions focused on strategies to disseminate and implement the new universal adult hepatitis B testing and vaccination recommendations, while also ensuring that we continue to work towards addressing hepatitis B and liver cancer related health disparities among disproportionately impacted communities. Summit participants identified critical needs for improving the hepatitis B care cascade in the U.S. This includes the need for point-of-care testing for hepatitis B, increased access to vaccine, capacity building and support for disseminating and publishing community-based data, and enhanced training and support for patient navigators. The Summit also featured people living with hepatitis B, to discuss the role of storytelling in increasing public awareness and combatting stigma and discrimination.
Importantly, the Summit provided an opportunity to highlight the critical role that people with lived experience play as we strive to eliminate hepatitis B. Participants discussed a powerful new Patient Declaration published in the Journal of Viral Hepatitis by co-authors Dr. Su Wang, Director of the Center for Asian Health at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, and Mr. Danjuma Adda, President of the World Hepatitis Alliance.
“People living with hepatitis B deserve a voice at the table and should be included in clinical and research discussions that impact their lives,” Dr. Wang said.
Partners in the room concluded that expanded and simplified hepatitis B treatment guidelines are needed and decision makers must integrate patient preferences and quality of life assessment into the medical management of hepatitis B.
Aligning with the Patient Declaration, the Hepatitis B Foundation released a video to highlight some of the patients’ demands.
At the end of the two-day meeting, Hep B United partners hosted an awareness event in front of the White House, carrying signs such as “We Are Fighting 4 Our Lives” and “Hep B Can’t Wait.”
“This was an ideal way to commemorate World Hepatitis Day, and an opportunity to spotlight the needs of people living with hepatitis B, and generate action towards prioritization hepatitis B, hepatitis D and liver cancer as urgent health priorities,” stated Dr. Chari Cohen, President of the Hepatitis B Foundation.
During the Summit, HBU hosted a Community Reception, and were honored to have opening remarks made by the Honorable Hank Johnson, from Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District, co-chair of the Hepatitis Caucus, and supporter of Hep B United’s vision of a future free of hepatitis B. HBU also conferred Legacy Awards to the following people for their outstanding contributions to communities impacted by hepatitis B: Joan Block, co-founder and past Executive Director of the Hepatitis B Foundation; Cynthia Jorgensen, former Lead for Education, Communication and Training at the CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis and primary architect of the multi-lingual Know Hepatitis B campaign; and Jane Pan, former Executive Director of HBI-DC. HBU also conferred the Hep B United Congressional Champion Award to Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01).
World Hepatitis Day is observed each year on July 28. That is the birthday of Dr. Baruch Blumberg, Nobel Laureate who discovered the hepatitis B virus and developed the first vaccine.
About hepatitis B: The world’s most common serious liver infection, chronic hepatitis B, is caused by a virus that attacks and injures the liver. Almost 300 million people worldwide and 2.4 million people in the U.S. have chronic hepatitis B. Each year up to 1 million people die from hepatitis B worldwide, even though it is preventable and treatable. If untreated, hepatitis B can lead to liver cancer, which is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide.
About the Hepatitis B Foundation: The nation’s leading nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy, the Hepatitis B Foundation is based in Doylestown, Pa., with an office in Washington, D.C. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org, read our blog at hepb.org/blog, follow us on Twitter @HepBFoundation, find us on Facebook at facebook.com/hepbfoundation or call 215-489-4900. To donate, contact Jean Holmes at 215-489-4900 or jean.holmes@hepb.org.
About Hep B United: Hep B United is a national coalition established by the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Association of Asian and Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) to address the public health challenge of hepatitis B by increasing awareness, screening, vaccination and linkage to care for all Americans, with a particular focus on Asian-American and Pacific Islander populations that are disproportionately impacted. To learn more, visit www.hepbunited.org.
Hep B United Partners
Community Partners: African Health Coalition. Asian American Health Coalition (HOPE Clinic). Asian American Health Initiative. Asian Center - Southeast Michigan. Asian Health Coalition. Asian Pacific Health Foundation. Asian Pacific Community in Action. Asian Services in Action Inc. Asian Women for Health. Center for Pan Asian Community Services (CPACS). Charles B Wang Community Health Center. Chinese American Medical Society - Greater Boston Chapter. CCACC Pan Asian Volunteer Health Clinic. Colorado Viral Hepatitis Task Force. Dallas Fort Worth Hepatitis B Free Project. HepAware Delaware. Hep B Free Las Vegas. Hep B Free Los Angeles. Hep B Project. Hep B United Philadelphia. Hep B United Twin Cities. Hep Free Hawaii. Hepatitis B Coalition of WA. Hepatitis B Initiative of Washington, DC. Hepatitis Education Project. Illinois Public Health Association(IPHA).Intercultural Center for Health, Research & Wellness. Mercy Housing and Human Development. Midwest Asian Health Association. Mongolian Community Health Network. National Association of Pasifika Organizations (NAOPO). New Jersey Hepatitis B Coalition. North East Medical Services. NYC Hepatitis B Coalition. NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH). Ohio Asian American Health Coalition. PA Harm Reduction Coalition. Project Prevention. San Francisco Hep B Free - Bay Area. Utah Hepatitis Coalition. Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation.
National Non-Profit Partners: Hepatitis B Foundation. Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO). American Liver Association. Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART). Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA). Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy and Leadership (APPEAL). National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. National Task Force on Hepatitis B. National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable. Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum. Immunization Action Coalition. Team HBV.
Federal Partners: US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Viral Hepatitis, HHS. HHS Office of Minority Health. White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Comentarios