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300 Million Reasons, About Hepatitis B, HBV, Hepatitis B Awareness, Hepatitis B Prevention, Liver, Liver Health

Team Helpatitis: Students and Teachers Come Together to Raise Awareness of Hepatitis B in India! 

 

Hepatitis B is a critical public health crisis in India.  With over 40 million HBV carriers, it is estimated that over 115,000 people die each year from hepatitis B related causes and one million newborn babies are at risk of developing hepatitis B in India. 1 

In an effort to raise awareness for hepatitis B and contribute to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) viral hepatitis elimination plan, teachers and students at Amity International School in New Delhi, India launched Team Helpatitis to promote hepatitis B education.. Science teachers have integrated hepatitis B education in their extra-curricular activities to teach students about chronic hepatitis and liver health. School events and festivals have provided unique opportunities for students, teachers, and parents to come together and learn about the importance of prevention strategies like hepatitis B screenings in making India hepatitis free!  

Diwali Lamps Bring Hope and Awareness to the hepatitis B Cause in India 

During the month of Diwali, a religious festival of lights, Team Helpatitis students designed liver shaped oil lamps to promote awareness. These lamps are made from clay pots and are lit every year on Diwali to represent the transition from darkness into light in the coming new year. Students and teachers hope to combat the stigma and misconceptions associated with hepatitis B though these lamps. The lamps were distributed to school students and teachers to bring home and share the important message of hope and resilience with their friends and families. 

 

 

 

 

 

The liver shaped lamps were sculpted, packaged, and distributed by the students and teachers to raise awareness of hepatitis B during the Diwali festivities at their school.

Pin-O-Liv: Dart Throwing Competition to Understand the Difference between Good and Bad Liver Habits! 

The Winter Carnival at Amity International provided a platform for students to showcase their learning outside of the classroom and educate attendees about healthy and unhealthy habits for their liver. The students chose an interactive sport to keep the players informed and entertained. They created a dartboard with pictures representing good and bad lifestyle habits and their impact on the liver. Before the game, players were briefed on liver health and ways to keep the liver healthy and safe. Players were given five darts and challenged to hit the images with unhealthy habits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students participate in the dart-throwing competition to “kill” the bad habits that destroy our liver

Livbola: Students reinvent tambola to promote hepatitis B education among children and adults 

Tambola is a slightly different version of Bingo and is a beloved pastime of south Asian communities. The students were given a short presentation on hepatitis B and liver cancer. They were then introduced to the rules of the game and were quizzed on questions related to hepatitis and liver health. Prizes were distributed to players to encourage participation. The players included students, school staff, and community members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

School staff, students, and parents play the Livbola game during their annual winter carnival

The Hepatitis B Foundation was recently approached by the teachers at Team Helpatitis for a live session on hepatitis B. The Foundation met with the students and teachers via zoom a few weeks ago and discussed the physical, social, and financial impact of hepatitis B.  We also discussed the importance of preventative strategies like vaccines in promoting positive health outcomes for all communities.  

 

 

 

 

 

The students and teachers of Amity International School met with the Foundation for an introductory session on hepatitis B on zoom.

 

By participating in these activities, projects, and festivities with the help of their school’s leadership and administration, Team Helpatitis has expanded their reach beyond the classroom and amplified the voices of public health workers, advocates, and people living with hepatitis B! Check out Team Helpatitis’ social media channels to stay updated! 

Team Helpatitis’ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/helpatitis_aisv1_yppteam/ 

 

References: 

chrome extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/searo/india/health-topic-pdf/factsheet-b-hepatitisday2016.pdf?sfvrsn=da61ef0_2#:~:text=In%20India%2C%20the%20prevalence%20of,D%2C%20followed%20by%20Aand%20C. 

Premkumar, M., & Kumar Chawla, Y. (2021). Chronic Hepatitis B: Challenges and Successes in India. Clinical liver disease, 18(3), 111–116. https://doi.org/10.1002/cld.1125 

 

300 Million Reasons, advocacy, HBV, Hepatitis B Advocacy, Hepatitis B Awareness, News

Hepatitis B Foundation Introduces 300 Million Reasons Movement

By Beatrice Zovich

The Hepatitis B Foundation is excited to launch a new movement called 300 Million Reasons, named for the almost 300 million people worldwide who are living with hepatitis B. The goal of this movement is to improve awareness about hepatitis B and liver cancer worldwide, to promote engagement of key stakeholders, and to empower people impacted by hepatitis B across the globe to become vocal advocates. We want to amplify the voices and stories of the millions of people directly affected by this disease, in order to make sure that hepatitis B is granted the funding, attention, and serious consideration that it deserves. The 300 Million Reasons movement will be officially launched in July of 2021, in time for World Hepatitis Day, but we wanted to begin sharing resources and information now. 

This movement is divided into four branches: B Informed, B Connected, B the Voice, and B the Change. Each of these arms is described below. 

B Informed

Hepatitis B can be prevented, treated, and managed. The B Informed branch of the 300 Million Reasons movement involves raising awareness about hepatitis B and liver cancer, providing accurate information, dispelling myths and misconceptions, decreasing stigma and discrimination, and providing simple hepatitis B educational tools, which will focus on transmission, prevention, liver cancer screening, and living with chronic hepatitis B. We have created a free and downloadable social media toolkit that can help spread the word about statistics, vaccines, testing, monitoring and care, symptoms, blood tests, acute vs. chronic hepatitis B and more. Check it out today! 

B Connected

You are not alone! The B Connected arm of 300 Million Reasons works to increase access to clinical trials, expand global connections to support people living with hepatitis B and their loved ones around the world, establish international peer mentoring programs, and create a social network and further community engagement opportunities for people impacted by hepatitis B. This branch of the movement will be modeled after current coalition work that has been done with Hep B United and the Coalition Against Hepatitis in People of African Origin. 

B the Voice

Your voice matters! The B the Voice component of the 300 Million Reasons movement is focused primarily on international storytelling and elevating the voices of those living with and affected by hepatitis B around the world. Stories of discrimination, stigma, screening, diagnosis, treatment, supporting community and family members, personal and larger-scale successes, setbacks and victories – all are important to share and learn about in order to raise awareness, inspire change, and eventually find a cure. Do you have a story to share? We would love to read it! Share your story today using this link. 

B the Change

Stand up, speak out! B the Change aims to increase activism among those living with hepatitis B and their loved ones and to use this as a tool to advance the cause of increasing knowledge about and support for hepatitis B among legislators and policy-makers. It will include national and international community ambassadors, strong relationships with the World Hepatitis Alliance and other key partners, outreach to people living with hepatitis B who have not had prior involvement in this effort, and advocacy training and opportunities. With knowledge can come action – let’s build a strong communication network to spread the word and B the Change to create a world that is Hep B-free! Become a hep B advocate today by joining our Action Center. 

The 300 Million Reasons movement will continue to grow and expand over the coming months and years, as more materials and resources are developed and disseminated. We hope you will continue to stay tuned on our website for updates and that you will join us in taking steps toward shining a light upon, and eventually eliminating, hepatitis B! Join the movement today!

Baruch S. Blumberg Institute