NVHR Commends New HHS Plan for the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis

Press Release - NVHR Commends New HHS Plan for the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis


May 12, 2011
Contact: Martha Saly
707.480.0596 – mbsaly@nvhr.org


NVHR Commends New HHS Plan for the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis


A new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) action plan for viral hepatitis takes the much needed step of establishing a roadmap to help improve response to this growing health problem. The HHS Action Plan for the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis, released today by Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard Koh, follows a 2010 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Hepatitis and Liver Cancer: A National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis B and C. The IOM report found a troubling lack of knowledge about the devastating impact of this disease among health care and social services providers, at-risk populations, the general public and policymakers. The IOM report was commissioned in part by the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR).

“The release of the HHS Action Plan offers a tremendous opportunity to change the course of the viral hepatitis epidemic in the U.S.,” said Martha Saly , Director of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR), “However, this plan will only be effective if the Administration strongly supports its implementation and Congress demonstrates leadership by increasing resources for prevention, education, care and treatment services for Americans, especially vulnerable and underserved populations, who are most at risk for viral hepatitis infections and their consequences.”

The CDC estimates that, 65% of people infected with hepatitis B and 75% of people infected with hepatitis C do not know that they have the disease, yet 1 in 12 Asian/Pacific Islander Americans is living with hepatitis B and African Americans are twice as likely to be infected with hepatitis C as the general population.

“With limited funds available for viral hepatitis, our nation does a poor job of screening and early intervention,” Saly said, noting that “most infected individuals only become aware of their condition after it has progressed to cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer. That is not only a tragedy for those afflicted, but it also winds up costing much more money for our health care system.”

NVHR has prioritized viral hepatitis and liver cancer screening, along with tackling health disparities and barriers to care among Asian Americans, African Americans and other disproportionately affected populations; strengthening prevention efforts to confront a new wave of infections do to heroin use; and improving viral hepatitis services at community health centers as areas where the Federal Government can make an immediate impact on the burden of viral hepatitis in the United States.

NVHR is a coalition of more than 170 public, private and voluntary organizations dedicated to reducing the incidence of infection, morbidity and mortality from viral hepatitis in the United States. www.nvhr.org



COMBATING THE SILENT EPIDEMIC of VIRAL HEPATITIS
Action Plan for the Prevention, Care & Treatment of Viral Hepatitis

Just click on this link:

http://nvhr.org/sites/default/files/Viral-Hepatitis-Action-plan-2011.pdf

You can also find the link on the NVHR Home page at:

www.nvhr.org