Dear Friends,
As 2010 draws to a close, H.E.A.L.S of the South wants to remind you that we need YOUR help so that we can continue to help others. We depend on you!
H.E.A.L.S of the South continues to support many online support groups, a live support group, does telephone counseling, educational and informational mailings, testing events, health fairs, speaking engagements, Legislative and World Hepatitis Days and we continue to have the HCV Handbook accessible to all online.
During this holiday season, we want to wish everyone a HEALTHY and happy New Year and a very Merry Christmas. We want to remind those of you who might wish to support H.E.A.L.S work that we are a 501(c)3 charitable organization and that contributions made before the end of the year will be tax deductible for 2010.
To donate, visit http://www.HEALSoftheSouth.org and click on the Donation button or send a check to:
H.E.A.L.S of the South
PO Box 180813
Tallahassee, FL 32318
We thank you for your support--financial and otherwise--over the past ten years that H.E.A.L.S has been working towards Hepatitis Education Awareness and Liver Support. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with you during 2011. Remember to educate others to test for Hepatitis C, be vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B and to sign their organ donor cards.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Mahatma Gandhi put it well: "Be the change you want to see in the
world." It always begins with one person.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
NVHR Welcomes Dr. Koh’s Remarks at AASLD, But Warns that Viral Hepatitis Battle Demands Decisive National Leadership
November 1, 2010
Contact: Phil Blando, 202-258-4978
pblando@abmpartnersllc.com
NVHR Welcomes Dr. Koh’s Remarks at AASLD, But Warns that Viral Hepatitis Battle Demands Decisive National Leadership
Boston, MA—In a keynote address delivered yesterday afternoon on chronic viral hepatitis, one of the Administration’s top health officials provided an outline of the forthcoming HHS “federal action plan” on viral hepatitis and pledged renewed federal leadership to translate this plan into reality. Dr. Howard Koh, US Assistant Secretary of Health at the US Department of Health & Human Services, made the remarks before thousands of liver health experts at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) 61st annual meeting in Boston.
“NVHR is encouraged that Dr. Koh recognizes that the viral hepatitis battle can only be won with strong and decisive national leadership,” said Ms. Lorren Sandt, NVHR Chair and Executive Director of Caring Ambassadors Program, based in Portland, Oregon. “Given all that is at stake, we are eager to review the forthcoming HHS national strategy as soon as possible. Dr. Koh’s remarks yesterday were most welcome and stand in stark contrast to this Administration’s otherwise lackluster response to this urgent public-health crisis. Chronic viral hepatitis is a winnable public-health battle and it’s high time the Administration responded accordingly.”
More than 5 million Americans are afflicted with chronic viral hepatitis B or C and an estimated 500 million individuals are infected worldwide. Most Americans afflicted with chronic viral hepatitis are unaware they are infected. Without targeted screening and testing programs for those most at risk, most individuals only become aware of their condition after their infection progresses to liver failure, cirrhosis, or liver cancer. Viral hepatitis is the overwhelming cause of liver cancer, which kills nearly 20,000 Americans annually.
In his remarks, Dr. Koh outlined six key areas that will provide the foundation of the new HHS national strategy. These areas include educating providers; strengthening surveillance; better care, screening, and treatment; encouraging appropriate vaccinations to reduce the incidence of hepatitis B; reducing drug use; and protecting health workers from infections. NVHR continues to have concerns that the Administration’s funding levels for state-based viral hepatitis screening and treatment programs are wholly inadequate. In fact, federal funding for 2011 is actually less than it was a decade ago. Meanwhile, this crisis has only worsened.
Ms. Sandt added, “There is a strong expert consensus about what needs to be done to address the chronic viral hepatitis crisis. Thus far, we have lacked the political will. Policymakers face a stark choice: we can either invest the resources now to pay for successful viral hepatitis intervention and treatment or we can pay for failure over the next two decades with billions of dollars in avoidable medical costs and thousands of unnecessary liver transplants and deaths.”
NVHR is a coalition of more than 170 public, private, and voluntary organizations dedicated to reducing the incidence of infection, morbidity, and mortality from chronic viral hepatitis that afflicts more than 5 million Americans. www.nvhr.org
Contact: Phil Blando, 202-258-4978
pblando@abmpartnersllc.com
NVHR Welcomes Dr. Koh’s Remarks at AASLD, But Warns that Viral Hepatitis Battle Demands Decisive National Leadership
Boston, MA—In a keynote address delivered yesterday afternoon on chronic viral hepatitis, one of the Administration’s top health officials provided an outline of the forthcoming HHS “federal action plan” on viral hepatitis and pledged renewed federal leadership to translate this plan into reality. Dr. Howard Koh, US Assistant Secretary of Health at the US Department of Health & Human Services, made the remarks before thousands of liver health experts at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) 61st annual meeting in Boston.
“NVHR is encouraged that Dr. Koh recognizes that the viral hepatitis battle can only be won with strong and decisive national leadership,” said Ms. Lorren Sandt, NVHR Chair and Executive Director of Caring Ambassadors Program, based in Portland, Oregon. “Given all that is at stake, we are eager to review the forthcoming HHS national strategy as soon as possible. Dr. Koh’s remarks yesterday were most welcome and stand in stark contrast to this Administration’s otherwise lackluster response to this urgent public-health crisis. Chronic viral hepatitis is a winnable public-health battle and it’s high time the Administration responded accordingly.”
More than 5 million Americans are afflicted with chronic viral hepatitis B or C and an estimated 500 million individuals are infected worldwide. Most Americans afflicted with chronic viral hepatitis are unaware they are infected. Without targeted screening and testing programs for those most at risk, most individuals only become aware of their condition after their infection progresses to liver failure, cirrhosis, or liver cancer. Viral hepatitis is the overwhelming cause of liver cancer, which kills nearly 20,000 Americans annually.
In his remarks, Dr. Koh outlined six key areas that will provide the foundation of the new HHS national strategy. These areas include educating providers; strengthening surveillance; better care, screening, and treatment; encouraging appropriate vaccinations to reduce the incidence of hepatitis B; reducing drug use; and protecting health workers from infections. NVHR continues to have concerns that the Administration’s funding levels for state-based viral hepatitis screening and treatment programs are wholly inadequate. In fact, federal funding for 2011 is actually less than it was a decade ago. Meanwhile, this crisis has only worsened.
Ms. Sandt added, “There is a strong expert consensus about what needs to be done to address the chronic viral hepatitis crisis. Thus far, we have lacked the political will. Policymakers face a stark choice: we can either invest the resources now to pay for successful viral hepatitis intervention and treatment or we can pay for failure over the next two decades with billions of dollars in avoidable medical costs and thousands of unnecessary liver transplants and deaths.”
NVHR is a coalition of more than 170 public, private, and voluntary organizations dedicated to reducing the incidence of infection, morbidity, and mortality from chronic viral hepatitis that afflicts more than 5 million Americans. www.nvhr.org
Sunday, October 3, 2010
NVHR: In Fighting for ‘Six Winnable Battles,’ CDC May Lose the Nation’s Overall Public-Health War
NVHR: In Fighting for ‘Six Winnable Battles,’ CDC May Lose the Nation’s Overall Public-Health War
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In response to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Dr. Thomas Frieden’s release of “six winnable battles” in health care, Ms. Lorren Sandt, Chair of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) and Executive Director of Caring Ambassadors Program, based in Portland, Oregon, released the following statement:
“The CDC’s newly released ‘six winnable battles’ strategy makes a mockery of the broad-based, comprehensive, and integrated public-health strategy that our nation so desperately needs. In seeking to win six narrowly defined health care battles, the CDC may well lose the overall public-health war.
“Chronic viral hepatitis B and C are among dozens of conditions that are shortchanged by this PR-driven public-health approach from CDC. We can and must do better. How can a vaccine preventable virus, hepatitis B, and the only virus we can cure, hepatitis C, fail to make this list?
“Chronic viral hepatitis afflicts more than 5 million Americans directly and, by extension, tens of millions more of their loved ones. Most Americans are not aware they are infected until they present with serious related illnesses. Without adequate screening and treatment, chronic viral hepatitis often progresses to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure.
“Over the past year, experts from the Institute of Medicine, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and the Trust for America’s Health have all identified how best to address the viral hepatitis epidemic with common-sense action plans. Regrettably, the Administration is lacking the political will to implement them.
“The CDC’s omission of viral hepatitis from its list of ‘winnable battles’ is not simply an oversight – it’s an abdication of duty to many Americans who may well lose their battle with chronic viral hepatitis in the decades to come.”
NVHR is a coalition of more than 170 public, private, and voluntary organizations dedicated to reducing the incidence of infection, morbidity, and mortality from chronic viral hepatitis that afflicts more than 5 million Americans. http://www.nvhr.org/
SOURCE National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable
RELATED LINKS
http://www.nvhr.org/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CDC chief picks 6 ‘winnable battles’ in health
ATLANTA — Where would you start if you were charged with keeping the nation healthy? Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has chosen six priorities — winnable battles, he calls them.
They are smoking, AIDS, obesity/nutrition, teen pregnancy, auto injuries and health care infections. These are long-standing, major challenges that get a lot of attention already.
But elevating a handful of problems above dozens of others is a bold move for a public health official. So far, it’s been received like a bucket of cold water — invigorating some, infuriating others.
Many advocates, legislators and others in public health have devoted their lives to problems that did not make Frieden’s short list. So there are complaints.
A CDC employee blog is peppered with postings like, “I guess climate change is not a battle worth winning,” and “Don’t we still owe the patients of tomorrow an investment in things that may not pay off immediately?”
Some advocates wonder aloud just how targeted federal public health dollars are going to be. A particular point of concern is hepatitis C, a long under-recognized liver-destroying virus which has infected more than 3 million Americans. Some experts consider the issue a ticking time bomb and have called for the government to step up efforts to prevent it and better diagnose and treat people who already are infected.
Hepatitis B and C already are “badly neglected” by the CDC, and their omission from Frieden’s winnable battles list is more bad news, said Bruce Burkett, past president of the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council.
“I was very disappointed that it wasn’t on there. This is going to affect millions by not being on there,” he said.
Frieden, who took over CDC in June last year, already had a reputation as something of a public health maverick. When he started his previous job as New York City’s health commissioner in 2002, he began by identifying the city’s most pressing health issues. He led campaigns to ban smoking in the workplace, tax soda, cut salt in processed foods, and ban artificial trans fats in restaurants.
It’s no surprise that he is boldly painting targets at the CDC, said Dr. Jo Ivey Boufford, president of the New York Academy of Medicine. She’s a fan of Frieden’s who worked with him as a member of an advisory council to the city health department.
Frieden’s CDC job, ironically, does not provide the same kind of power he had in New York City to engineer bans or tax increases. But Frieden calls his new short list “winnable battles” because, he says, proven programs can save lives and reduce harm from each of these health problems. He believes government can make dramatic improvements if available money and manpower are focused.
“In each of these areas we know what to do to make a difference and we need to do it to a much greater extent,” he said in an interview.
Frieden, with a low-key demeanor, has said relatively little about this to the public, though he seems to be building support within the public health community.
There is some nervousness about how far Frieden’s going to take this.
“I think everyone is going to be cautious in how the focus on winnable battles is balanced against other areas” that are also deemed important but may not be as easy to dent, said Jeff Levi, who heads Trust for America’s Health, a research group.
Top CDC officials have been quick to say they have no intention of walking away from other public health missions. They couldn’t even if they wanted to, because much of the agency’s funding is directed to certain causes by Congress. According to one estimate, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of CDC’s $6.6 billion budget is discretionary money that can be channeled into the winnable battles campaign. Indeed, the agency has been asking for more flexibility.
But there’s power in perception, especially concerning CDC’s grant money to states. Nearly a quarter of that is targeted at the six battle areas, which already were major areas of interest. State health officers say they’re acutely aware of Frieden’s priorities and want him to know it when they apply for CDC money.
“We’re in the position of focusing pretty much on what we can get federal funds for,” said Will Humble, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Humble and several other public health leaders applaud Frieden’s priorities as an overdue attempt to narrow the public health message and better market health improvement to Americans.
“You can’t market if your message is too diffuse,” Humble said. “If we’re all on the same page and working in the same direction, we can get a lot more momentum.”
This isn’t how many public health officials traditionally operate, partly because they tend to worry about alienating employees, legislators and advocates, observed Stanton Glantz, a University of California-San Francisco expert on the health effects of smoking.
Other top federal health officials have not been as specific. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, the government’s chief health educator, has made the broader themes of prevention and wellness her focus.
But Frieden clearly has the blessing of his Obama administration bosses to set clear targets.
“Getting focused, and getting some quick wins under your belt, is terribly important,” said Victor Strecher, a University of Michigan health behavior expert.
Progress in these areas has long been measured by health statistics. What exactly will constitute a win? Frieden hasn’t said yet.
___
Online:
CDC Web page describing winnable battles: http://bit.ly/bCd8Lr
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gI1c0qXFNYNrk_xbZ5U2UW798gDQD9IICK2O0?docId=D9IICK2O0
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In response to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Dr. Thomas Frieden’s release of “six winnable battles” in health care, Ms. Lorren Sandt, Chair of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) and Executive Director of Caring Ambassadors Program, based in Portland, Oregon, released the following statement:
“The CDC’s newly released ‘six winnable battles’ strategy makes a mockery of the broad-based, comprehensive, and integrated public-health strategy that our nation so desperately needs. In seeking to win six narrowly defined health care battles, the CDC may well lose the overall public-health war.
“Chronic viral hepatitis B and C are among dozens of conditions that are shortchanged by this PR-driven public-health approach from CDC. We can and must do better. How can a vaccine preventable virus, hepatitis B, and the only virus we can cure, hepatitis C, fail to make this list?
“Chronic viral hepatitis afflicts more than 5 million Americans directly and, by extension, tens of millions more of their loved ones. Most Americans are not aware they are infected until they present with serious related illnesses. Without adequate screening and treatment, chronic viral hepatitis often progresses to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure.
“Over the past year, experts from the Institute of Medicine, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and the Trust for America’s Health have all identified how best to address the viral hepatitis epidemic with common-sense action plans. Regrettably, the Administration is lacking the political will to implement them.
“The CDC’s omission of viral hepatitis from its list of ‘winnable battles’ is not simply an oversight – it’s an abdication of duty to many Americans who may well lose their battle with chronic viral hepatitis in the decades to come.”
NVHR is a coalition of more than 170 public, private, and voluntary organizations dedicated to reducing the incidence of infection, morbidity, and mortality from chronic viral hepatitis that afflicts more than 5 million Americans. http://www.nvhr.org/
SOURCE National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable
RELATED LINKS
http://www.nvhr.org/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CDC chief picks 6 ‘winnable battles’ in health
ATLANTA — Where would you start if you were charged with keeping the nation healthy? Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has chosen six priorities — winnable battles, he calls them.
They are smoking, AIDS, obesity/nutrition, teen pregnancy, auto injuries and health care infections. These are long-standing, major challenges that get a lot of attention already.
But elevating a handful of problems above dozens of others is a bold move for a public health official. So far, it’s been received like a bucket of cold water — invigorating some, infuriating others.
Many advocates, legislators and others in public health have devoted their lives to problems that did not make Frieden’s short list. So there are complaints.
A CDC employee blog is peppered with postings like, “I guess climate change is not a battle worth winning,” and “Don’t we still owe the patients of tomorrow an investment in things that may not pay off immediately?”
Some advocates wonder aloud just how targeted federal public health dollars are going to be. A particular point of concern is hepatitis C, a long under-recognized liver-destroying virus which has infected more than 3 million Americans. Some experts consider the issue a ticking time bomb and have called for the government to step up efforts to prevent it and better diagnose and treat people who already are infected.
Hepatitis B and C already are “badly neglected” by the CDC, and their omission from Frieden’s winnable battles list is more bad news, said Bruce Burkett, past president of the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council.
“I was very disappointed that it wasn’t on there. This is going to affect millions by not being on there,” he said.
Frieden, who took over CDC in June last year, already had a reputation as something of a public health maverick. When he started his previous job as New York City’s health commissioner in 2002, he began by identifying the city’s most pressing health issues. He led campaigns to ban smoking in the workplace, tax soda, cut salt in processed foods, and ban artificial trans fats in restaurants.
It’s no surprise that he is boldly painting targets at the CDC, said Dr. Jo Ivey Boufford, president of the New York Academy of Medicine. She’s a fan of Frieden’s who worked with him as a member of an advisory council to the city health department.
Frieden’s CDC job, ironically, does not provide the same kind of power he had in New York City to engineer bans or tax increases. But Frieden calls his new short list “winnable battles” because, he says, proven programs can save lives and reduce harm from each of these health problems. He believes government can make dramatic improvements if available money and manpower are focused.
“In each of these areas we know what to do to make a difference and we need to do it to a much greater extent,” he said in an interview.
Frieden, with a low-key demeanor, has said relatively little about this to the public, though he seems to be building support within the public health community.
There is some nervousness about how far Frieden’s going to take this.
“I think everyone is going to be cautious in how the focus on winnable battles is balanced against other areas” that are also deemed important but may not be as easy to dent, said Jeff Levi, who heads Trust for America’s Health, a research group.
Top CDC officials have been quick to say they have no intention of walking away from other public health missions. They couldn’t even if they wanted to, because much of the agency’s funding is directed to certain causes by Congress. According to one estimate, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of CDC’s $6.6 billion budget is discretionary money that can be channeled into the winnable battles campaign. Indeed, the agency has been asking for more flexibility.
But there’s power in perception, especially concerning CDC’s grant money to states. Nearly a quarter of that is targeted at the six battle areas, which already were major areas of interest. State health officers say they’re acutely aware of Frieden’s priorities and want him to know it when they apply for CDC money.
“We’re in the position of focusing pretty much on what we can get federal funds for,” said Will Humble, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Humble and several other public health leaders applaud Frieden’s priorities as an overdue attempt to narrow the public health message and better market health improvement to Americans.
“You can’t market if your message is too diffuse,” Humble said. “If we’re all on the same page and working in the same direction, we can get a lot more momentum.”
This isn’t how many public health officials traditionally operate, partly because they tend to worry about alienating employees, legislators and advocates, observed Stanton Glantz, a University of California-San Francisco expert on the health effects of smoking.
Other top federal health officials have not been as specific. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, the government’s chief health educator, has made the broader themes of prevention and wellness her focus.
But Frieden clearly has the blessing of his Obama administration bosses to set clear targets.
“Getting focused, and getting some quick wins under your belt, is terribly important,” said Victor Strecher, a University of Michigan health behavior expert.
Progress in these areas has long been measured by health statistics. What exactly will constitute a win? Frieden hasn’t said yet.
___
Online:
CDC Web page describing winnable battles: http://bit.ly/bCd8Lr
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gI1c0qXFNYNrk_xbZ5U2UW798gDQD9IICK2O0?docId=D9IICK2O0
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
NVHR Welcomes Support of National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council In Fight to Address Chronic Viral Hepatitis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Phil Blando, 202-534-1772
September 24, 2010 pblando@abmpartnersllc.com
NVHR Welcomes Support of National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council
In Fight to Address Chronic Viral Hepatitis
Washington, DC—The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) is pleased to welcome the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council -- the nation’s first community-based hepatitis C advocacy coalition -- to its ranks and looks forward to building on the Council’s hard-fought successes in the public policy arena, NVHR announced today. Given the depth and breadth of NVHR’s reach, the Council will now unite with NVHR and allow the community to speak with one voice.
“NVHR is pleased to have the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council join our ranks,” said Ms. Lorren Sandt, NVHR Chair and Executive Director of Caring Ambassadors Program, based in Portland, Oregon and the Founder of the Council. “Over the past decade, the Council has done extraordinary work to educate policymakers and the general public about hepatitis C and has laid the foundation for important public policy successes in recent years. We look forward to using the Council’s passion and commitment through NVHR to advance a public health agenda that addresses the viral hepatitis crisis once and for all.”
“For the past decade, the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council has been steadfast in its efforts to promote a national, comprehensive strategy for addressing hepatitis C. We have been on the front lines in Washington and state capitals and are proud of our results in putting hepatitis C on the political radar screen,” said Michael Carden, National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council President, who is with SUNY Downstate Medical Center, based in Brooklyn, NY. “Now is the time for the community to speak with one voice for the entire spectrum of viral hepatitis.”
The National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council was founded in 2000 and is the nation’s first hepatitis C coalition. Comprised of 27 community-based organizations operating from coast to coast, the Council enabled the hepatitis C community to have a voice on Capitol Hill and urged policymakers to pursue a comprehensive public-health strategy for detecting, treating, and preventing viral hepatitis.
Over the past decade, the Council scored some very notable successes on Capitol Hill. In 2003, at its urging, the first-ever hepatitis C legislation was introduced by the late Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and former Representative Heather Wilson (R-NM) and Representative Edolphus Towns (D-NY). The following year, the Government Oversight Committee, chaired by former Representative Tom Davis (R-Va.), held a congressional hearing to examine policy issues associated with hepatitis C. This work laid an important foundation for introducing a more comprehensive viral hepatitis bill and securing bipartisan legislation in this Congress, sponsored by Representatives Mike Honda (D-Calif.), Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) that has a total of 73 bipartisan supporters.and Senate legislation sponsored by Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.)
An estimated 5.3 million Americans have been infected with chronic viral hepatitis B or C – and with most unaware of their infection, millions are at risk of developing life-threatening complications, especially African Americans and Asian Americans. Without detection and prompt treatment, chronic viral hepatitis leads to liver cancer, cirrhosis, or liver failure.
NVHR is a coalition of more than 170 public, private, and voluntary organizations dedicated to reducing the incidence of infection, morbidity, and mortality from chronic viral hepatitis that afflicts more than 5 million Americans. www.nvhr.org
###
www.nvhr.org
Contact: Phil Blando, 202-534-1772
September 24, 2010 pblando@abmpartnersllc.com
NVHR Welcomes Support of National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council
In Fight to Address Chronic Viral Hepatitis
Washington, DC—The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) is pleased to welcome the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council -- the nation’s first community-based hepatitis C advocacy coalition -- to its ranks and looks forward to building on the Council’s hard-fought successes in the public policy arena, NVHR announced today. Given the depth and breadth of NVHR’s reach, the Council will now unite with NVHR and allow the community to speak with one voice.
“NVHR is pleased to have the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council join our ranks,” said Ms. Lorren Sandt, NVHR Chair and Executive Director of Caring Ambassadors Program, based in Portland, Oregon and the Founder of the Council. “Over the past decade, the Council has done extraordinary work to educate policymakers and the general public about hepatitis C and has laid the foundation for important public policy successes in recent years. We look forward to using the Council’s passion and commitment through NVHR to advance a public health agenda that addresses the viral hepatitis crisis once and for all.”
“For the past decade, the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council has been steadfast in its efforts to promote a national, comprehensive strategy for addressing hepatitis C. We have been on the front lines in Washington and state capitals and are proud of our results in putting hepatitis C on the political radar screen,” said Michael Carden, National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council President, who is with SUNY Downstate Medical Center, based in Brooklyn, NY. “Now is the time for the community to speak with one voice for the entire spectrum of viral hepatitis.”
The National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council was founded in 2000 and is the nation’s first hepatitis C coalition. Comprised of 27 community-based organizations operating from coast to coast, the Council enabled the hepatitis C community to have a voice on Capitol Hill and urged policymakers to pursue a comprehensive public-health strategy for detecting, treating, and preventing viral hepatitis.
Over the past decade, the Council scored some very notable successes on Capitol Hill. In 2003, at its urging, the first-ever hepatitis C legislation was introduced by the late Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and former Representative Heather Wilson (R-NM) and Representative Edolphus Towns (D-NY). The following year, the Government Oversight Committee, chaired by former Representative Tom Davis (R-Va.), held a congressional hearing to examine policy issues associated with hepatitis C. This work laid an important foundation for introducing a more comprehensive viral hepatitis bill and securing bipartisan legislation in this Congress, sponsored by Representatives Mike Honda (D-Calif.), Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) that has a total of 73 bipartisan supporters.and Senate legislation sponsored by Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.)
An estimated 5.3 million Americans have been infected with chronic viral hepatitis B or C – and with most unaware of their infection, millions are at risk of developing life-threatening complications, especially African Americans and Asian Americans. Without detection and prompt treatment, chronic viral hepatitis leads to liver cancer, cirrhosis, or liver failure.
NVHR is a coalition of more than 170 public, private, and voluntary organizations dedicated to reducing the incidence of infection, morbidity, and mortality from chronic viral hepatitis that afflicts more than 5 million Americans. www.nvhr.org
###
www.nvhr.org
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Kerry Introduces Bill to Fight Viral Hepatitis
Kerry Introduces Bill to Fight Viral Hepatitis
For Immediate Release: Thursday, August 5, 2010
CONTACT: DC Press Office, (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), today introduced the Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act of 2010, which calls for a national strategy to prevent and control Hepatitis B and C. Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) is the legislation’s lead sponsor in the House of Representatives. The bill has been endorsed by over 100 hepatitis focused organizations from across the nation.
“Viral hepatitis is a silent killer,” Senator Kerry said. “Most people don’t even know they have hepatitis until it causes liver damage or even cancer years after the initial infection. We can easily avoid these needless tragedies with prevention, surveillance programs, and by educating Americans about this deadly disease. The bill I’m introducing today will help create a national strategy to combat and prevent hepatitis, hopefully ending this silent affliction’s often deadly consequences.”
Viral Hepatitis contributes to the death of 15,000 Americans a year and threatens the health of 5.3 million more. It is more common than HIV/AIDS and is the leading cause of liver cancer. Most people don’t know they have hepatitis until it causes cancer or liver disease years after infection. This is largely because there is currently no federal funding of core public health services for viral hepatitis. Nor is there any federally funded chronic Hepatitis B and C surveillance system.
The Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act aims to correct this by authorizing nearly $600 million over the next five years to fund a national strategy to prevent and control viral hepatitis. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national plan for the prevention, control and medical management of viral hepatitis in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes for Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The legislation requires the development of a national plan that must include the following components:
education and awareness programs;
an expansion of current vaccination programs;
counseling regarding the ongoing risk factors associated with viral hepatitis;
support for medical evaluation and ongoing medical management;
increased support for adult viral hepatitis coordinators; and
the establishment of an epidemiological surveillance program to identify trends in incidence and prevalence in the disease.
The Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act of 2010 also enhances SAMHSA’s role in hepatitis activities by providing the agency with the authority to develop educational materials and intervention strategies to reduce the risks of hepatitis among substance abusers and individuals with mental illness.
http://kerry.senate.gov:80/press/release/?id=77720c93-e5db-46a3-b02f-9bfe1814b4c7
For Immediate Release: Thursday, August 5, 2010
CONTACT: DC Press Office, (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159 (202) 224-4159
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), today introduced the Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act of 2010, which calls for a national strategy to prevent and control Hepatitis B and C. Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) is the legislation’s lead sponsor in the House of Representatives. The bill has been endorsed by over 100 hepatitis focused organizations from across the nation.
“Viral hepatitis is a silent killer,” Senator Kerry said. “Most people don’t even know they have hepatitis until it causes liver damage or even cancer years after the initial infection. We can easily avoid these needless tragedies with prevention, surveillance programs, and by educating Americans about this deadly disease. The bill I’m introducing today will help create a national strategy to combat and prevent hepatitis, hopefully ending this silent affliction’s often deadly consequences.”
Viral Hepatitis contributes to the death of 15,000 Americans a year and threatens the health of 5.3 million more. It is more common than HIV/AIDS and is the leading cause of liver cancer. Most people don’t know they have hepatitis until it causes cancer or liver disease years after infection. This is largely because there is currently no federal funding of core public health services for viral hepatitis. Nor is there any federally funded chronic Hepatitis B and C surveillance system.
The Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act aims to correct this by authorizing nearly $600 million over the next five years to fund a national strategy to prevent and control viral hepatitis. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national plan for the prevention, control and medical management of viral hepatitis in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes for Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The legislation requires the development of a national plan that must include the following components:
education and awareness programs;
an expansion of current vaccination programs;
counseling regarding the ongoing risk factors associated with viral hepatitis;
support for medical evaluation and ongoing medical management;
increased support for adult viral hepatitis coordinators; and
the establishment of an epidemiological surveillance program to identify trends in incidence and prevalence in the disease.
The Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act of 2010 also enhances SAMHSA’s role in hepatitis activities by providing the agency with the authority to develop educational materials and intervention strategies to reduce the risks of hepatitis among substance abusers and individuals with mental illness.
http://kerry.senate.gov:80/press/release/?id=77720c93-e5db-46a3-b02f-9bfe1814b4c7
Friday, July 30, 2010
Webinar: Hepatitis Advocacy in August
Learn about the important work that you can do in your own backyard
during the August recess to increase awareness of viral hepatitis among
your elected officials.
Agenda:
1:00 - 1:05: Welcome
1:05 - 1:15: Appropriations update
1:15 - 1:20: Legislation update
1:20 - 1:25: Q & A
1:25 - 1:35: August recess advocacy/Action Alert
1:35 - 1:45: Advocacy success stories
1:45 - 2:00: Questions, discussion, close
Webinar Details:
Title: Advocacy in August
Date: August 5, 2010
Time: 10AM Pacific Time / 1PM Eastern Time
Join this webinar:
Join Link: https://caringambassadors.ilinc.com/join/jchwrbj
Primary Dial-In: 1-800-201-2375
Alternate Dial-In: 1-469-759-7753
Passcode: 327238
Want to prepare your system ahead of time?
https://caringambassadors.ilinc.com/register/jchwrbj
during the August recess to increase awareness of viral hepatitis among
your elected officials.
Agenda:
1:00 - 1:05: Welcome
1:05 - 1:15: Appropriations update
1:15 - 1:20: Legislation update
1:20 - 1:25: Q & A
1:25 - 1:35: August recess advocacy/Action Alert
1:35 - 1:45: Advocacy success stories
1:45 - 2:00: Questions, discussion, close
Webinar Details:
Title: Advocacy in August
Date: August 5, 2010
Time: 10AM Pacific Time / 1PM Eastern Time
Join this webinar:
Join Link: https://caringambassadors.ilinc.com/join/jchwrbj
Primary Dial-In: 1-800-201-2375
Alternate Dial-In: 1-469-759-7753
Passcode: 327238
Want to prepare your system ahead of time?
https://caringambassadors.ilinc.com/register/jchwrbj
Thursday, June 24, 2010
World Hepatitis Day in Washington DC on May 19, 2010
This is a great video with highlights from last month’s World Hepatitis Day rally at the U.S. Capitol, courtesy of Satoko Sugiyama and the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable. It is worth the 9 minutes of viewing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1FOTJTWSkw
The World Hepatitis Alliance has started a You Tube and a Flickr page. You can access them and see World Hepatitis Day pictures from around the WORLD!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50506646@N04/
http://www.youtube.com/user/worldhepday
Our Youngest Dragon Slayer Extraordinaire, Elijah, Speaks at WHD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbyMR8X_PNU
Lorren Sandt speaking at WHD Rally in DC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On_3JhaYeuo
Shari Foster speaking at WHD Rally in DC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHhopSxnoTY
Jane Pan ends speech with Will You Stand With Me?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1A7iUD8WSU
PeachStatePam's *Locks of Love* hair experience and Hepatitis C awareness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHYyPaWOmtI
World Hepatitis Day in Washington DC on 5-19-2010 pictures at Kodak
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=228953846803%3A235454742&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1FOTJTWSkw
The World Hepatitis Alliance has started a You Tube and a Flickr page. You can access them and see World Hepatitis Day pictures from around the WORLD!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50506646@N04/
http://www.youtube.com/user/worldhepday
Our Youngest Dragon Slayer Extraordinaire, Elijah, Speaks at WHD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbyMR8X_PNU
Lorren Sandt speaking at WHD Rally in DC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On_3JhaYeuo
Shari Foster speaking at WHD Rally in DC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHhopSxnoTY
Jane Pan ends speech with Will You Stand With Me?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1A7iUD8WSU
PeachStatePam's *Locks of Love* hair experience and Hepatitis C awareness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHYyPaWOmtI
World Hepatitis Day in Washington DC on 5-19-2010 pictures at Kodak
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=228953846803%3A235454742&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharer
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