Press Room

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hepatitis B Foundation and AAPCHO Sponsor Congressional Briefing on “Zero Tolerance for Hepatitis B”
(Congressional briefing held in conjunction with National Hepatitis B Awareness Week)

DOYLESTOWN, PA (May 20, 2008) –In recognition of National Hepatitis Awareness Month and National Hepatitis B Awareness Week (May 19-23, 2008), the Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) are hosting a Congressional briefing titled “Zero Tolerance for Hepatitis B: the Health Needs of Women and Children” on May 20, 2008, 12:00 -1:30 pm, at the U.S. Capitol in Room HC-6. The briefing will call urgent attention to the health needs of pregnant women infected with hepatitis B and the protection of their newborns against this deadly virus. Congressmen Mike Honda (CA) and Charles Dent (PA) will be special guests at the briefing. Through patient stories and testimony from experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Johns Hopkins University Hospital, the adverse impact of hepatitis B on the health of women and children will be highlighted.

“Today, with the availability of an effective vaccine and six approved therapies for chronic hepatitis B, no woman or child should be left behind,” says Dr. Timothy Block, president, Hepatitis B Foundation. With good vaccines and treatment options, the U.S. finally has the tools to effectively implement a “zero tolerance” policy against hepatitis B to protect the health of all Americans.

Hepatitis B is the deadliest disease that can be prevented through infant vaccination. The numbers tell the story. In the United States, an estimated 20,000 babies are born each year to women with hepatitis B. Despite a national requirement that all newborns be vaccinated at birth against the hepatitis B virus (HBV), up to 1,500 of these newborns are chronically infected at birth with HBV. Of these infected newborns, 25% will die prematurely from liver failure or liver cancer, usually in the prime of their adult lives.

There are national guidelines requiring all pregnant women be tested for hepatitis B and clear recommendations to educate and refer infected women to care. However, local and state health departments lack the necessary resources to implement the recommendations. According to Jeff Caballero, executive director, AAPCHO, “This gap in care results in jeopardizing the health of these infected women and continues the devastating cycle of maternal HBV transmission between mother and her newborn.”

While there is still no cure for hepatitis B – which causes liver cancer, the fastest growing cancer in the U.S. – it can be prevented through vaccination and controlled with appropriate treatment.

Expert speakers will include Dr. Kathleen Schwarz, Director, Pediatric Liver Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Dr. Mack Mitchell, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center; Dr. Chong Gee Teo, Chief, Laboratory Branch, Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Mr. Ted Fang, Editor and Publisher, AsianWeek and Director, AsianWeek Foundation. Personal testimony will include a special presentation by California Assemblywoman Fiona Ma and a young woman who asked to remain anonymous.

What Is Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is the world’s most serious common liver infection transmitted through infected blood, unprotected sex, illicit drug use, and from an infected woman to her newborn. One in 3 people worldwide have been infected with HBV and 400 million suffer from chronic infections. Each year, one million people die from hepatitis B. By the time a person finishes reading this article, two more people will have died.

About the Hepatitis B Foundation
The Hepatitis B Foundation is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected with hepatitis B worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. For more information, visit www.hepb.org or call (215) 489-4900.

The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
is a national association representing community health organizations dedicated to promoting advocacy, collaboration and leadership that improves the health status and access of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders within the United States, its territories, and freely associated states, primarily through our member community health centers. For more information, visit www.aapcho.org or call (510) 272-9536.