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  • Highlighting the Relationship between Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer

    … of Hepatology, 66(2), 355-362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2016.09.013 Cudjoe, J., Gallo, J.J., Sharps, P., Budhathoki, C., Roter, D., & Han, H-R. (2021). The role of sources and types of health information in shaping health literacy in cervical cancer screening among African immigrant women: A mixed-methods study. Health Literacy Research and Practice, 5(2), e96-e108. doi: 10.3928/24748307-20210322-01 Department of Health and Human Services. (2014). Action plan for the prevention, care, & treatment of viral hepatitis. Department of Health and Human Services. Hong, Y.A., Juon, H.S., & Chou, W.Y.S. (2021). Social media apps used by immigrants in the United States: Challenges and opportunities for public health research and practice. mHealth, 7, 52. doi: 10.21037/mhealth-20-133 Hong, Y.A., Yee, S., Bagchi, P., Juon, H.S., Kim, S.C., & Le, D. (2022). Social media-based intervention to promote HBV screening and liver cancer prevention among Korean Americans: Results of a pilot study. Digital Health, 8, 20552076221076257. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076221076257  Joo, J.Y. (2014). Effectiveness of culturally tailored diabetes interventions for Asian immigrants to the United States: A systematic review. The Diabetes Educator, 40(5), 605-615. DOI: 10.1177/0145721714534994 Parvanta, C., & Bass, S. (2018). Health communication: Strategies and skills for a new era: strategies and skills for a new era. Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. Porteny, T., Alegria, M., del Cueto, P., Fuentes, L., Lapatin Markle, S., NeMoyer, A., & Perez, G.K. (2020). Barriers and strategies for implementing community-based interventions with minority elders: Positive minds-strong bodies. Implementation Science Communications, 1, 41. doi: 10.1186/s43058-020-00034-4 Taylor, V.M., Bastani, R., Burke, N., Talbot, J., Sos, C., Liu, Q., Jackson, J.C., & Yasui, Y. (2013). Evaluation of a hepatitis B lay health worker intervention for Cambodian Americans. Journal of

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/highlighting-relationship-hepatitis-b-liver-cancer/
  • Team Helpatitis: Students and Teachers Come Together to Raise Awareness of Hepatitis B in India! 

    … 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   

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/8126-2/
  • 10 Things You Need to Know if You’re Living with Hepatitis B in 2022 

    1. Get monitored every 6 months   All people with chronic hepatitis B infection, including children and adults, should be monitored regularly since they are at increased risk for developing cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer. During these check-up visits, your provider will monitor your health through a physical exam, blood tests and imaging studies (such as an ultrasound, FibroScan [Transient Elastography] or CT scan). The goal of these check-ups is to make sure that you are staying healthy and to detect any liver problems as early as possible.  2. Take your antiviral daily   Medication adherence can be hard, especially if you have to take a pill every day! It is important you take your medication every day.   3. Ask your doctor to be screened for liver cancer   Did you know the most common risk factor for liver cancer is chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus? Individuals chronically infected with hepatitis B have a 25% to 40% lifetime risk of developing liver cancer. It is important to ask your doctor to be screened for liver cancer every year!   4. Ask your doctor to be screened for hepatitis D   You can find out if you have hepatitis D through a simple blood test. Hepatitis delta, also known as hepatitis D or HDV, is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis delta virus that results in the most severe form of viral hepatitis known to humans. Only those already infected with hepatitis B can acquire hepatitis delta, as it is dependent on the hepatitis B virus to replicate. 5. If someone promises a new cure or treatment that sounds too good to be true….it is  In the search to eliminate hepatitis B, we may be tempted to try a supplement that promises to cure us. But first, do your homework and practice precautions. To check out an herbal supplement, visit the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health’s website to see what scientific evidence exists for a supplement and talk to your doctor. There is no magic bullet that

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/10-things-need-know-youre-living-hepatitis-b-2022/
  • GlaxoSmithKline Recruiting for B-Together Hep B Clinical Trials

    … visits scheduled in the follow up period. Your study participation will end about 72 weeks after your first dose of the trial drug. Who Can Participate? You may be eligible to participate in this trial if you are at least 18 years old, have been living with documented CHB for at least six months, and have also been receiving stable nucleos(t)ide treatment (not telbivudine) with no changes for at least six months prior to screening and no planned changes for the duration of the study. There are other eligibility requirements that the study doctor will review with you. Individuals who have a current co-infection with or past history of hepatitis C virus, HIV or hepatitis D virus are not eligible to participate in this trial.  Where Is This Trial Taking Place? This trial is ongoing in the UK, Spain, Russia, Poland, Italy, Korea, Japan, China, the US, Canada, and South Africa. You can play a role in shaping your own health and the science of tomorrow! To learn more about this trial and check your eligibility to participate, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04676724. 

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/glaxosmithkline-recruiting-b-together-hep-b-clinical-trials/
  • One in Three People Worldwide Has Had Hepatitis B, So Why Do We Feel So Alone?

    Volunteers from the Rann India Foundation teach villagers about hepatitis B testing and prevention in India. By Christine Kukka Hepatitis B is the global pandemic no one talks about, yet one in three people worldwide has been infected. In 2013, hepatitis B and C together was the seventh-leading cause of death worldwide, with hepatitis B causing 780,000 deaths annually. Today, 257 million people have chronic hepatitis B. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, the number of people living with hepatitis B virus is projected to remain at the current, unacceptably high level for decades and cause 20 million deaths through 2030. How can this happen? Viral hepatitis infection and death rates far outstrip that of ebola and zika. In fact, you have to combine the death toll from HIV and tuberculosis to find human suffering on par with what viral hepatitis causes around the world each year.How has this pandemic remained so hidden and ignored for so long? There are several factors that have kept hepatitis B off public health's global radar. It’s a complicated infection, those who have it have been silenced by shame and ignorance, and more than two-thirds of those infected with hepatitis B have never been tested and don’t know they have it. And then there’s avoidance by the global healthcare community. The development of a hepatitis B vaccine 40 years ago was thought to signal the death knell of this disease. While new infections have plummeted in North America and Europe, in impoverished countries, the vaccine is often not available and infected mothers continue to unknowingly infect their children at birth. There have been successful hepatitis B immunization campaigns around the world, even in poor, remote areas, but there’s a catch. The free hepatitis B pentavalent vaccine provided by the global Vaccine Alliance called GAVI is effective in children starting at age one month. To break the mother-to-child infection cycle, a different and more costly

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/one-in-three-people-worldwide-has-had-hepatitis-b-so-why-do-we-feel-so-alone/
  • New CDC Universal Screening Recommendations will save lives, Hepatitis B Foundation president says

    The recommendations call for all adults ages 18 and older to be tested for hepatitis B. Doylestown, Pa., March 9, 2023 – New guidance released today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that recommend testing of all adults ages 18 and older will save lives, ultimately, says Hepatitis B Foundation President Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH. The CDC will publish its Universal Adult Hepatitis B Screening Recommendations in the March 10 edition of its influential Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). A preview was posted today (March 9) on the CDC website here. “The Hepatitis B Foundation is grateful for the advocacy work on this issue by our Hep B United Coalition partners, the many individual advocates nationwide who have been engaged on this issue and the Congressional Hepatitis Caucus, which has been very supportive over the years of hepatitis B initiatives and decreasing HBV-related disparities,” Dr. Cohen said. For years, the Hepatitis B Foundation has advocated that universal screening is essential to successfully addressing hepatitis B in the U.S. Our team will continue advocacy efforts to encourage the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to align with CDC’s final recommendation. The Hepatitis B Foundation is developing a comprehensive communications program, including a detailed white paper and a social media tool kit, to help ensure that physicians, other health care providers and public health profession nationwide learn about the new recommendations. A webinar for providers, through the Hep B United coalition, has been scheduled for March 27 at 4 p.m. EDT. The webinar will address what the recommendations will mean for providers and how implementation of universal screening and vaccination will look. The speakers will include CDC representatives and Dr. Robert Gish, medical director of the Hepatitis B Foundation. Registration for the webinar is online here. Previous guidelines in the U.S. were based on a person’s risk factors, which was stigmatizing, inefficient and burdensome to providers and patients. It’s important to note that about two-thirds of Americans with hepatitis B have no identified risk factors for the disease, so previous recommendations were missing a large portion of those infected. The new recommendation calls for all adults to be screening using the hepatitis B triple panel (hepatitis B surface antigen, hep B surface antibody and hep B core antibody). The triple panel is preferred because it provides a comprehensive view of a person’s hepatitis B status and alerts the provider as to the necessary next steps, including vaccination for susceptible individuals or linkage to care for those infected. In the U.S., up to 2.4 million people are chronically infected, yet only 25% of those individuals know they are infected. Without diagnosis and appropriate care and treatment, people with chronic hepatitis B are at significantly increased risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Hepatitis B cases in the U.S. have been rising in recent years – up 11% between 2014 and 2018 – largely due to the opioid epidemic. The disease is one of the primary causes of liver cancer, the fastest-growing cancer in the U.S., and a leading cause of cirrhosis. Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and African Immigrants continue to be disproportionately impacted by hepatitis B and liver cancer. From 2003-2017, it was the second most common cause of cancer deaths in Asian American and Pacific Islander males. Asians and Black Americans living with HBV have an 11-fold risk of developing primary liver cancer in comparison to white Americans. The U.S. is on the path to eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030. Combined with universal vaccination for all adults 19-59, the new screening guidelines are a significant step towards reducing health disparities, reducing new hepatitis B infections, and working towards elimination. About hepatitis B: The world’s most common serious liver infection, chronic hepatitis B is caused by a virus that attacks and injures the liver. Each year up to 1 million people die from hepatitis B worldwide, even though it is preventable and treatable. Hepatitis B is a “silent epidemic” because most people do not have symptoms when they are newly or chronically infected. Thus, they can unknowingly infect others and continue the spread of hepatitis B. For people who are chronically infected but don’t have any symptoms, their livers are still being silently damaged, which can develop into serious liver disease such as cirrhosis or liver cancer. About the Hepatitis B Foundation: As the nation’s leading hepatitis B advocacy and research organization, the Hepatitis B Foundation is one of the most active proponents of improving hepatitis B screening, prevention and treatment of the disease. We are the nation’s leading nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. Founded in 1991, the Hepatitis B Foundation is based in Doylestown, Pa., with offices in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org, read our blog at hepb.org/blog, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@hepbfoundation) or call us at 215-489-4900. To donate, contact Jean Holmes at 215-489-4900 or jean.holmes@hepb.org

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/new-cdc-universal-screening-recommendations-will-save-lives-hepatitis-b-foundation-president-says/
  • Anonymous donor provides record gift for hepatitis B research

    The contribution will support two innovative research projects aimed at finding a cure for hepatitis B. Doylestown, Pa., Jan. 13, 2022 – A very generous Florida couple who wishes to remain anonymous has contributed $500,000 to the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, the research arm of the Hepatitis B Foundation, to advance research toward a cure for hepatitis B, the most common serious liver infection in the world. The gift is the largest in the organization’s history. The funds will enable Blumberg Institute researchers, led by Ju-Tao Guo, MD, vice president for research and W. Thomas London Professor, to pursue new strategies to cure hepatitis B.   Ju-Tao Guo, MD One strategy uses gene editing and mRNA; the other targets the viral surface antigen using a novel screening technique. “Both strategies are unique and should go a long way in opening up an entirely new way to treat chronic hepatitis B,” said Timothy M. Block, PhD, president and co-founder of the Hepatitis B Foundation and Blumberg Institute, who is involved closely with the research projects. “This is the kind of innovation that is needed for there to be a cure for hepatitis B.” When the donor first contacted the Hepatitis B Foundation last summer, his phone call to the Foundation’s Helpline went, simply by chance, to Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH, the Foundation’s senior vice president and incoming president as of this July. Their productive conversation was the first of many leading the record-setting contribution. The donor expressed interest in progress toward a cure for hepatitis B. After learning details about the Blumberg Institute’s research program, he concluded that the Institute is the best place to invest in scientific efforts focused on curing the disease. “This wonderfully generous support is making possible some very promising research on a cure, and the Foundation and entire hepatitis B community are extremely grateful,” Dr. Cohen said. About Hepatitis B: Caused by the hepatitis B virus, the disease attacks and injures the liver. Each year up to 1 million people die from hepatitis B worldwide, even though it is preventable and treatable. The number of adults living in the U.S. who have chronic hepatitis B infection may be as high as 2.4 million, which is nearly three times greater than the federal government’s official estimate, according to a new report by a team of public health experts, scientists and physicians. Hepatitis B is a “silent epidemic” because most people do not have symptoms when they are newly or chronically infected. Thus, they can unknowingly infect others and continue the spread of hepatitis B. For people who are chronically infected but don’t have any symptoms, their livers are still being silently damaged, which can develop into serious liver disease such as cirrhosis or liver cancer. About the Hepatitis B Foundation: We are the nation’s leading nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. Founded in 1991, the Hepatitis B Foundation is based in Doylestown, Pa., with an office in Washington, D.C. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org and www.hepb30years.org, read our blog at hepb.org/blog, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@hepbfoundation) or call us at 215-489-4900. To donate, contact Jean Holmes at 215-489-4900 or jean.holmes@hepb.org.  

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/anonymous-donor-provides-record-gift-for-hepatitis-b-research/
  • Hepatitis B Foundation mourns the passing of John C. Martin, pharmaceutical industry leader

    The former CEO of Gilead, Martin personally was committed to addressing the problem of hepatitis B. Doylestown, April 1, 2021 – The leadership and staff of the Hepatitis B Foundation share a high regard for John C. Martin, PhD, former CEO of Gilead Sciences Inc., who died suddenly this week. Best known for his leadership at Gilead in providing the first effective treatment for HIV, Dr. Martin also headed the company as it conducted groundbreaking work aimed at a treatment for hepatitis B, which currently affects about 2.4 million U.S. residents. Gilead also is the producer of curative therapies for hepatitis C. Dr. Martin, a chemist, came to the Hepatitis B Foundation in 2019 to deliver the Foundation’s annual Bruce Witte Lecture, according to Timothy M. Block, PhD, president and CEO of the Foundation. Dr. Block, his wife Joan, and Janine and Paul Witte created the Foundation in 1991.  Dr. Martin (left) and Dr. Block “Dr. Martin expressed his personal commitment to help in preventing and treating hepatitis B to Joan and me on a number of occasions,” Dr. Block said. “He understood the terrible impact that the disease has around the world, and he knew that his company was a key contributor in the fight against the disease.” “On behalf of Joan and myself and everyone at the Foundation, we extend our condolences and best wishes to the Martin family,” Dr. Block added. # # # About Hepatitis B A very recent publication by Dr. Block and a team of public health experts, scientists and physicians shows that the number of people living in the U.S. who have a chronic hepatitis B infection may be as high as 2.4 million, significantly greater than the generally accepted estimate of 2.2 million in 2011. Worldwide, as many as 300 million people or more may be living with hepatitis B. About 884,000 people die each year from hepatitis B and complications, primarily liver cancer. There are more statistics and sources at www.hepb.org.

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/hepatitis-b-foundation-mourns-the-passing-of-john-c-martin-pharmaceutical-industry-leader/
  • Hepatitis B Foundation co-founders chosen for major new award from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases

    Joan and Tim Block to be honored for their advocacy on behalf of people living with hepatitis B. Doylestown, Pa., Nov. 12, 2020 – Hepatitis B Foundation co-founders Joan Block, R.N., and Timothy M. Block, Ph.D., will receive a very significant honor on Nov. 14 during The Liver Meeting, which is the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). You can watch a video recording of the presentation here, courtesy of the AASLD. AASLD is the leading organization of scientists and health care professionals committed to preventing and curing liver disease. The Blocks will receive the AASLD’s inaugural Distinguished Advocacy Service Award, which “recognizes service provided to the hepatology community over an extended period that raises awareness or garners public and federal legislative support and promotes liver health and quality patient care.” The award was conceived last year by T. Jake Liang, M.D., chief of the Liver Diseases Branch, National Institutes of Health, who will be presenting the award. “The Hepatitis B Foundation has grown from a one-person crusade to a well-funded multi-tier organization with a large staff and deep influence in the advocacy community,” Dr. Liang wrote in his nominating letter. “The Foundation has effectively represented and advocated for patients with chronic hepatitis B and raised prominent awareness of the disease by implementing innovative educational, patient-oriented, community-based and public health programs.” Harvey Alter, M.D., who recently was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for 2020 with Charles Rice, Ph.D., and Michael Houghton, Ph.D., was one of the many leaders in the field of hepatology who sent in congratulatory messages for the ceremony. “Tim, despite his humble nature, is a scientific and social giant – a great scientist, a great teacher, a great leader and a remarkable innovator,” Dr. Alter wrote. “With Joan as inspiration, they have evolved the Hepatitis B Foundation from a random thought to a major international entity serving innumerable carriers of hepatitis B infection and their families.” “Joan, the heart and soul of the HBF, has endeared herself to patients and health care workers and has put hepatitis B into public and governmental consciousness,” Dr. Alter wrote. “She has given patients and their families hope for a better future and Tim has worked on therapeutics to make that hope real.” Joel Rosen, Esq., chairman of the Hepatitis B Foundation’s Board of Directors, said the Blocks certainly are deserving of this honor.  “The dedication and leadership in the fight against hepatitis B demonstrated by Joan and Tim for so many years inspires all of us and has set a high bar for everyone associated with the Hepatitis B Foundation,” Rosen said. “Joan and Tim have always combined great intellectual rigor in their research and public health endeavors with heartfelt compassion for people living with hepatitis B.”   The Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide. Joan and Tim Block established the HBF in 1991, along with Janine and Paul Witte. Today, it is a trusted global authority and primary portal of information about hepatitis B, with 4 million website visits annually from more than 100 countries. HBF reaches thousands of people each year through email, social media and community-based screening and linkage to care programs.   The Blocks are receiving this award to recognize their outstanding efforts to raise awareness and prioritization of hepatitis B, and to ensure that the 2 million people living with hepatitis B in the U.S. have unhindered access to screening, appropriate medical care and treatment. Under their leadership, HBF’s long-standing commitment to advocacy has resulted in many groundbreaking successes that have prohibited discrimination, increased focus and dollars for research to find a cure for hepatitis B and better treatment for liver cancer, and improved access to medication across the U.S.   Tim was a tenured professor at Thomas Jefferson University and Drexel University College of Medicine until 2015, when he joined the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, the research arm of the Hepatitis B Foundation, full-time. He has more than 250 scholarly publications and earned more than 20 patents. Tim is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, U.S. National Academy of Inventors.  Joan has served on the WHO Committee for HBV management guidelines, received awards from the White House and CDC for advocacy and has served on the American Liver Foundation national board. # # # About the Hepatitis B Foundation: The nation’s leading nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy, the Hepatitis B Foundation is based in Doylestown, Pa., with an office in Washington, D.C. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org, read our blog at hepb.org/blog, follow us on Twitter @HepBFoundation, find us on Facebook at facebook.com/hepbfoundation or call 215-489-4900. To donate, contact Jean Holmes at 215-489-4900 or jean.holmes@hepb.org.   11/04/20

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/aasld-choses-joan-and-tim-block-for-inaugural-distinguished-advocacy-service-award/
  • Blogs

    Blogs Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: CHIPO Partner Highlight: Hepatitis B Initiative of Washington, D.C. Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: What’s the Difference?: Herbal Remedies and Supplements vs. Western Medicine Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: Reactivation with Hepatitis B: Understanding Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: CHIPO Partner Highlight: United States Coalition for African Immigrant Health Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: CHIPO Partner Highlight: Illinois Public Health Association Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: CHIPO Partner Highlight: Great Lakes Peace Centre Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: Happy NAIRHHA Day 2021! Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: CHIPO Is Looking for New Members! Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: Recap of NAIRHHA Day 2020 Celebration Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: The History of National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV & Hepatitis Awareness Day 2019 Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: Tackling Hepatitis B in Africa: The First Nigerian Hepatitis Summit Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: Hepatitis B and D Coinfection in Central Africa Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: Raising Awareness about Hepatitis B in African Immigrant Communities in the US Hepatitis B Foundation Blog: The History of National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV and Hepatitis Awareness Day 2019

    https://www.hepb.org/research-and-programs/chipo/resources/blogs/