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Coalition Against Hepatitis for People of African Origin (CHIPO)

The Coalition Against Hepatitis for People of African Origin (CHIPO) is a national 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 in the U.S. CHIPO serves as a forum for sharing information and best practices, and improving 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%-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 around the country who are working in their own local communities to address these very issues.