Coalition Against Hepatitis for People of African Origin (CHIPO)
The Coalition Against Hepatitis for People of African Origin (CHIPO) is a community coalition co-founded and led by the Hepatitis B Foundation. We are comprised of organizations and individuals interested in addressing the high rates of hepatitis B infection among African communities around the world. CHIPO serves as a forum for sharing information and best practices and increasing national capacity to improve hepatitis B awareness, testing, vaccination and treatment among highly affected African communities.
People of African origin are disproportionately affected by hepatitis B infection. In fact, in some African communities in the U.S., between 5% and 15% of people have chronic HBV infection. Unfortunately, due to the silent nature of the disease, lack of disease awareness, and limited health care access, most African community members who have hepatitis B DO NOT KNOW that they are infected. This puts them at much greater risk for premature death from cirrhosis or liver cancer.
The key to addressing the high burden of hepatitis B infection in people of African origin is to improve awareness and access to hepatitis B information, screening, vaccination, and follow-up care. CHIPO brings together people from around the world who are working in their own local communities to address these very issues.
View our latest webinar!
Join us to celebrate NAIRHHA Day 2024! To honor the tenth anniversary of National African Immigrant & Refugee HIV/AIDS & Hepatitis Awareness (NAIRHHA) Day, we hosted a webinar that featured a conversation with representatives from state and local health departments from around the country who work in cities and states with the largest communities of African immigrants. Panelists discussed steps they have taken to center the needs of these communities & what remains to be done to ensure that the serious health disparities of hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS are addressed in a culturally appropriate way for African immigrant communities.
Watch here!
View our Publication! Barriers to Hepatitis B Screening and Prevention for African Immigrant Populations in the United States: A Qualitative Study (2020)
Join CHIPO!
Does your organization serve African populations, or are you a passionate community member? All are welcome at CHIPO's coalition calls! Our next call will take place on Monday November 18th, 2024 at 2pm Eastern Time. More details coming soon. Email beatrice.zovich@hepb.org if you have questions or are interested in joining!
Connect with us!
Check out our recent webinar!
In this webinar, we were joined by Dr. Ijeoma Ifeorah, Senior Lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, who covered the epidemiology and disease burden of HBV and HDV in sub-Saharan Africa, how to increase awareness of and screening for the viruses utilizing current global guidelines to recognize individuals at risk for developing HDV infection, and how best to provide support for patients after their diagnosis. Watch the webinar here!
CHIPO Call Minutes