2023 Hep B United Mini-Grant Awards

Doylestown, Pa., November 1, 2023 – Through its annual Mini-Grant Awards program, Hep B United this year has distributed $63,000 in grants to seven organizations across the country. Hep B United is proud to have given out more than $620,000 in funding over the 10 years of the Mini-Grants program. The program is designed to help coalition partners build capacity and test innovative strategies to improve hepatitis B vaccination, screening and linkage to care activities in highly impacted communities. It is supported in part using funds from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Cooperative Agreement (award #5NU51PS005196-02). Read more about this year’s recipients below. 

Asian American Community Services (AACS), Columbus, Ohio – AACS will provide hepatitis B awareness, education, screening, immunization and linkage to care to the Asian-born and African-born communities in Central Ohio by identifying and developing systems and strategies to educate communities and providers and implement new universal adult hepatitis B vaccination recommendations. 

African Family Health Organization (AFAHO), Philadelphia – AFAHO will conduct focus groups in their community to determine the barriers and best practices to raise hep b awareness. From there, they will hold a series of health education workshops and screenings, and connect screened individuals to vaccination or care. 

HOPE Clinic, Houston – HOPE Clinic will create educational materials, handouts and implement a class to provide patients, community and family members more information about hepatitis B. HOPE Clinic will also hold focus groups for those living with or impacted by hepatitis B to learn about the challenges they face.  

Drexel Hope, Philadelphia – Drexel Hope will increase awareness, screening, prevention, and education to reduce transmission and health-related complications of hepatitis B with a focus on PWUDs. Program leaders will incorporate screening, phlebotomy services, vaccination, patient navigation, harm-reduction education and data collection as part of their mobile van. 

Hepatitis B Initiative of D.C. (HBI-DC), Washington, D.C. – HBI-DC will increase awareness, screening, prevention, and education to reduce hepatitis B-related health disparities in D.C., Maryland and Virginia by conducting outreach to providers in the area to ensure they have the latest information, and by conducting screening events and linking individuals to appropriate care. 

Korean Community Services (KCS), New York – KCS’s will increase access to educational and medical resources within the local Korean community and increase awareness and screening for hepatitis B and the care resources available to individuals. In addition to these efforts, KCS is creating a brand-new set of educational materials which will be disseminated in multiple languages. 

SF Hep B Free – Bay Area, San Francisco – SF Hep B Free – Bay Area is implementing Under the Mango Tree which will work towards reducing the burden of hepatitis B and liver cancer mortality, improve data collection, increase screening and vaccination, and provide resources and linkage to care for Pacific Islanders in the region. This will be done with an emphasis on cultural activities like Ti Leaf weaving; helping engage the community and creating a safe space for people to learn about hepatitis B. 

We wish all of our mini-grantees great luck with their projects! 

About Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B is one of the world’s most common infections and the primary cause of liver cancer, which is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the world. More than 296 million people are chronically infected, and almost 1 million people die each year from hepatitis B-related liver failure and liver cancer. In the U.S., up to 2.4 million are chronically infected but most don’t know it. The hepatitis B virus is preventable and treatable, there is still no complete cure for this deadly liver infection. 

About Hep B United: Hep B United is a national coalition dedicated to eliminating hepatitis B and the health disparities and inequities associated with hepatitis B and hepatitis delta among highly impacted communities across the United States by increasing awareness, screening, vaccination, and linkage to care. To learn more, visit www.hepbunited.org.  

About the Hepatitis B Foundation: The Hepatitis B Foundation is 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. To learn more, visit 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. 

About the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organization: The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organization (AAPCHO) is a national association of community health organizations dedicated to promoting advocacy, collaboration, and leadership that improves the health status and access of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders in the United States. To learn more, visit www.aapcho.org

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Hep B United Commemorates World Hepatitis Day, July 28

National partners convene in Washington, D.C., for 11th Annual Summit.

Doylestown, Pa., July 28, 2023 – Hep B United, a national coalition established by the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) to address the epidemic of hepatitis B, hosted its 11th annual summit in Washington, D.C., July 24-25. The summit brought together nearly 100 community leaders, advocates, clinicians, federal partners and people living with hepatitis B to discuss strategies and challenges towards eliminating hepatitis B in the U.S.

At the Summit, participants discussed innovative local and national programs to prevent, diagnose and treat hepatitis B. Discussions focused on strategies to disseminate and implement the new universal adult hepatitis B testing and vaccination recommendations, while also ensuring that we continue to work towards addressing hepatitis B and liver cancer related health disparities among disproportionately impacted communities. Summit participants identified critical needs for improving the hepatitis B care cascade in the U.S. This includes the need for point-of-care testing for hepatitis B, increased access to vaccine, capacity building and support for disseminating and publishing community-based data, and enhanced training and support for patient navigators. The Summit also featured people living with hepatitis B, to discuss the role of storytelling in increasing public awareness and combatting stigma and discrimination.



Photo by Amy Trang, PhD, MEd, Hep B United

Importantly, the Summit provided an opportunity to highlight the critical role that people with lived experience play as we strive to eliminate hepatitis B. Participants discussed a powerful new Patient Declaration published in the Journal of Viral Hepatitis by co-authors Dr. Su Wang, Director of the Center for Asian Health at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, and Mr. Danjuma Adda, President of the World Hepatitis Alliance.

“People living with hepatitis B deserve a voice at the table and should be included in clinical and research discussions that impact their lives,” Dr. Wang said.

Partners in the room concluded that expanded and simplified hepatitis B treatment guidelines are needed and decisionmakers must integrate patient preferences and quality of life assessment into the medical management of hepatitis B.

Aligning with the Patient Declaration, the Hepatitis B Foundation released a video to highlight some of the patients’ demands.

At the end of the two-day meeting, Hep B United partners hosted an awareness event in front of the White House, carrying signs such as “We Are Fighting 4 Our Lives” and “Hep B Can’t Wait.”

“This was an ideal way to commemorate World Hepatitis Day, and an opportunity to spotlight the needs of people living with hepatitis B, and generate action towards prioritization hepatitis B, hepatitis D and liver cancer as urgent health priorities,” stated Dr. Chari Cohen, President of the Hepatitis B Foundation.

World Hepatitis Day is observed each year on July 28. That is the birthday of Dr. Baruch Blumberg, Nobel Laureate who discovered the hepatitis B virus and developed the first vaccine.

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. Almost 300 million people worldwide and 2.4 million people in the U.S. have chronic hepatitis B. Each year up to 1 million people die from hepatitis B worldwide, even though it is preventable and treatable. If untreated, hepatitis B can lead to liver cancer, which is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide.

About Hep B United: Hep B United is a nationwide coalition with partners in 37 cities, 29 states and Washington, D.C. The coalition is co-led by the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO). Hep B United is dedicated to reducing the health disparities associated with hepatitis B by building the capacity of community coalitions to increase hepatitis B education, vaccination, testing and linkage to care in a culturally and linguistically responsive manner. The coalition focuses on communities disparately impacted, including Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, African Immigrants and persons who inject drugs. It promotes cross-sector partnerships between community organizations, health departments and Federally Qualified Health Centers, and has been building the capacity of multi-sectoral community coalitions to address hepatitis B in a nationally coordinated manner. The Hep B United Summit is the largest convening of hepatitis B leaders from community coalitions, national nonprofit organizations, individuals and family members affected by hepatitis B, and public health agencies in the U.S.

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.

New guidance released on March 9th 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 on March 9 on the CDC website which can be found 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.

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.

A webinar for providers, through the Hep B United coalition, was scheduled for March 27 at 4 p.m. EDT. The webinar addressed what the recommendations will mean for providers and how implementation of universal screening and vaccination will look. The speakers included CDC representatives and Dr. Robert Gish, medical director of the Hepatitis B Foundation. Watch the video recording of the webinar here.

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.

MAY 2023, HEPATITIS AWARENESS MONTH

Up to 2.4 million people in the United States are living with chronic hepatitis B and most are unaware of their infection. The month of May is designated as Hepatitis Awareness Month, with May 19th marking Hepatitis Testing Day! Organizations across the country dedicate this month to increasing awareness about viral hepatitis as well as promoting vaccination and testing.

Visit and connect with Hep B United local partners for more opportunities to get involved!

New U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Medical Standards Expand Applicant Pool to People With Chronic Hepatitis B and Human Immunodeficiency Virus

The USPHS Commissioned Corps announced the change on December 1, which was World AIDS Day. Previously, HIV and hepatitis B infection were both considered disqualifying medical conditions. This new decision reflects the latest scientific evidence and opens the door for applicants with hepatitis B and HIV to serve as uniformed Public Health Service officers.

The Hepatitis B Foundation became aware of the prohibition of applicants with hepatitis B in late 2020, when an individual with hepatitis B applied to serve but was denied due to his hepatitis B infection and contacted the Foundation. Since then, the Foundation has worked alongside partners advocating for a change in this policy. Hepatitis B Foundation leadership met with senior administration officials to raise awareness and urge them to prioritize this issue. Through legislative advocacy, the Foundation was able to get report language included in the FY 2022 House Labor-HHS Appropriations report urging the USPHS to allow officers with hepatitis B to serve in the Commissioned Corps.

Hepatitis B Foundation issued a press release. Find it here!

CDC awards a $1.375 million, five-year grant to the Hepatitis B Foundation for expansion of Hep B United, a nationwide coalition

Hep B United operates in 22 states, 30 cities and Washington, D.C.

Cross-posted from HepB.org

Aug. 13, 2021 – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded a $1.375 million, five-year grant to the Hepatitis B Foundation to continue leading and expanding Hep B United, a nationwide coalition that operates in collaboration with the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO).

Hep B United is dedicated to reducing the health disparities associated with hepatitis B. With the new funding, the Foundation and AAPCHO will build the capacity of community coalitions to increase hepatitis B education and testing and improve linkage to care in a culturally and linguistically responsive manner for communities disparately impacted, including Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, African Immigrants and persons who inject drugs.

Hep B United is composed of 50 national organizations and local community coalitions in 22 states, 30 cities and Washington, D.C. It promotes cross-sector partnerships between community organizations, health departments and Federally Qualified Health Centers, and has been building the capacity of multi-sectoral community coalitions to address hepatitis B in a nationally coordinated manner.

Continue reading CDC awards a $1.375 million, five-year grant to the Hepatitis B Foundation for expansion of Hep B United, a nationwide coalition

2021 VIRAL HEPATITIS POLICY SUMMIT & HILL DAY

Cross-posted from nvhr.org
NVHR joined our partners at NASTAD, Hepatitis B Foundation, and Hep B United to host a virtual Viral Hepatitis Policy Summit and Hill Day on February 17 & 18. The virtual event was an opportunity for advocates and federal partners to share information and engage in discussion about strategies and priorities at the federal level to eliminate viral hepatitis.

Over 100 advocates from around the country participated in the Viral Hepatitis Policy Summit, making it the largest one ever. The advocates heard from and engaged with CDC & HHS officials on a range of topics, including viral hepatitis elimination planning, health equity, strategies to expand hepatitis B & C testing and hepatitis A & B vaccination, the impact of COVID-19, scaling up comprehensive harm reduction and syringe services programs (SSPs) for people who inject drugs, and the importance of robust funding.

Several advocacy priorities surfaced during the summit. Advocates highlighted the importance of moving towards universal hepatitis B testing and vaccination; addressing Medicaid barriers and restrictions to treatment and access to care; advancing innovative viral hepatitis testing technologies; addressing stigma and discrimination; supporting people who use drugs; and maintaining a strong health equity lens in our goals and messaging.

Continue reading 2021 VIRAL HEPATITIS POLICY SUMMIT & HILL DAY

Vu Q&A: Kate Moraras on the Need for Universal Hepatitis B Screenings

Cross-posted from HepVu.org
Kate Moraras is the Deputy Director of Public Health at the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Director of Hep B United.

Q: You currently work as Deputy Director of Public Health at the Hepatitis B Foundation and as the director of Hep B United. How did you first become involved in Hepatitis B and how has the field changed in recent years?

When I first started working in the Hepatitis B field, I was on a fellowship at the Office of Minority Health with the Department of Health and Human Services. I was already familiar with Hepatitis B and understood that it was the single greatest health disparity for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at the time. I became more engaged with this issue over time and eventually made my way to the Hepatitis B Foundation. Coincidentally, when I started with the foundation, I learned that I had an uncle who is living with Hepatitis B. Ever since, my professional dedication to Hepatitis B knowledge and engagement became more personal.

In recent years, conversations about Hepatitis B have evolved. Originally, Hepatitis B was generally known as an Asian American health issue since more than half of chronic Hepatitis B cases in the U.S. are amongst Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (who only make up about 6% of the U.S. population). However, in the past 6 years or so, Hepatitis B infections have steadily climbed amongst rural communities and younger populations – primarily due to injection drug use tied to the opioid epidemic. All this considered, I believe that Hepatitis B needs to be seen in the context of racial discrimination to align with the social justice conversations we’re having today. We have started to highlight these realities and are seeing prioritization of messages that encourage testing to address the gaps in adult hepatitis B vaccination rates.

Q: On May 5, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a draft recommendation statement, which recommends Hepatitis B screenings for adolescents and adults at increased risk for infection. In response to this draft rule, Hep B United and the Hepatitis B Foundation sent a letter urging the USPSTF to expand its recommendation to endorse universal Hepatitis B screenings for all adults. Why do you think that the current USPSTF risk-based Hepatitis B screening recommendation falls short?

These new screening guidelines are not effective. The Hepatitis B community is disappointed to see that the task force put out a recommendation that was quite similar to what has been in place since 2014, and did not encourage universal screening of all adults for Hepatitis B. Six years have passed, but we are not seeing the necessary changes being made. The USPSTF statement also mirrors what the CDC has been recommending for ten years: people who are high-risk should get screened. We have evidence that this is not enough. Estimates show that up to 75% of Hepatitis B-infected individuals remain undiagnosed. I think it’s time that we look at a universal screening recommendation because there are clearly gaps in risk-based screening.

Continue reading Vu Q&A: Kate Moraras on the Need for Universal Hepatitis B Screenings

Uniting to Eliminate Hepatitis B in the United States

Cross-posted from HHS.gov Hepatitis Blog
While the United States is taking action to address recent spikes in acute viral hepatitis infections around the country, we must not forget the more than 2 million Americans living with chronic hepatitis B, over half unaware of their infection and at risk of developing liver disease, including liver cancer. Communities at risk of chronic hepatitis B infection are often the most vulnerable and face barriers to health care access including language, cultural, transportation, housing, and other social resource needs. There is a lot to learn from partners across the nation that can be useful when adapted to other communities.

What is Hep B United?
Recognizing the gaps in coordinated hepatitis B education, prevention, and linkage to care efforts, the Hep B United coalition was established in 2011 by the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) to provide a community network for sharing best practices, resources, and capacity building. Hep B United is a national coalition of over 40 national and community-based hepatitis B organizations in 31 cities, 21 states and the District of Columbia. The coalition is dedicated to reducing the health disparities associated with hepatitis B by increasing awareness, screening, vaccination, and linkage to care for high-risk communities.

How is Hep B United working toward hepatitis elimination?
From Mississippi to Ohio to California, local community coalitions  comprised of health and social service organizations, local businesses, academic research institutions, federally qualified health centers, local and state health departments, student organizations, and others are working to:

  • “find the missing millions” living with chronic hepatitis B in the United States;
  • ensure that they are able to access sustainable medical care for their hepatitis B; and
  • prevent the next generations from becoming infected.

Continue reading Uniting to Eliminate Hepatitis B in the United States

CDC, Hepatitis B Foundation, and CHIPO Release New African Know Hepatitis B Materials

In the U.S., African immigrants are disproportionately impacted by hepatitis B, with 5 to 18 percent of African immigrants estimated to be living with chronic hepatitis B and at increased risk of liver disease, liver cancer, and death.

As an extension of the Know Hepatitis B Campaign, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in partnership with the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Coalition Against Hepatitis for People of African Origin (CHIPO) has released new educational materials focused on African immigrant communities.

Resources include a digital self-guided PowerPoint for community health workers; a printable flipchart for face-to-face community education; informational fact sheets; resources for locating hepatitis B testing; and a digital resource toolkit featuring #justB storytelling videos.

Access the materials here.