Hep B United Applauds Bipartisan Legislation to Combat the Opioid Crisis and Opioid Related Infectious Diseases

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 24, 2018) – Hep B United today released the following statement, commending Congress for working together to pass the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act. The legislation was signed into law by the president, following overwhelming bipartisan Congressional support. The legislation supports a range of services, programs, and funding, across multiple federal agencies, to help combat the nation’s ongoing opioid epidemic and related infectious diseases, including hepatitis B.

The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act brings together several pieces of legislation focused on different aspects of the opioid epidemic, from promoting evidence-based prevention strategies, to researching new, non-addictive pain management drugs, and expanding access to substance use disorder treatment.

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Webinar: Community-Based Services to Improve Hepatitis B Testing and Linkage to Care Among Hard-to-Reach Populations

Please join Hep B United on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 EDT for a webinar on Community-Based Services to Improve Hepatitis B Testing and Linkage to Care Among Hard-to-Reach Populations.

In the U.S., up to 2 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B infection, only 25 percent are aware of their infection, and less than 10 percent of infected individuals are able to access care and receive treatment. Among those chronically infected with hepatitis B, an estimated 70 percent are non-U.S. born and face unique barriers in accessing health care services.

Join this session to learn about three hepatitis B testing and linkage to care programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2014 to 2017. Panelists from Chicago, Livingston, New Jersey/New York City, and Sacramento will share innovative strategies and partnerships to improve testing and linkage to care among high-risk populations, including patient navigation programs, using electronic medical records, and educating health care providers.

Register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7419649993381033985 

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Hep B United Endorses the Liver Illness Visibility, Education, and Research (LIVER) Act of 2018

WASHINGTON, DC (October 18, 2018) Hep B United strongly endorses the introduction of the Liver Illness Visibility, Education and Research (LIVER) Act of 2018. Introduced by Representative Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), the bill takes bold steps to increase investments in research, prevention, and awareness activities to address hepatitis B, which kills up to 1 million people a year, and liver cancer, which continues to grow in incidence and is the 2nd deadliest cancer worldwide. As hepatitis B is the major cause of liver cancer, research efforts to cure these two diseases are linked.

The LIVER Act will authorize $100 million a year for five years for prevention and awareness grants at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and authorize $45 million a year for five years for hepatitis B and liver cancer research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The bill includes significant provisions that will support and accelerate liver cancer and hepatitis B research, and will:

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