World Hepatitis Day: Raising Awareness, Encouraging Testing
The global hepatitis community is coming together for the 6th annual World Hepatitis Day on Tuesday July 28th. This year's campaign is called 4000 Voices, referring to the fact that 4000 people die every day due to hepatitis B and C.
Formerly hep C+ nurse, author, and speaker working to make the world healthier and free of viral hepatitis
Formerly hep C+ nurse, author, and speaker working to make the world healthier and free of viral hepatitis
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The global hepatitis community is coming together for the 6th annual World Hepatitis Day on Tuesday July 28th. This year's campaign is called 4000 Voices, referring to the fact that 4000 people die every day due to hepatitis B and C. As many as 5.3 million Americans are currently living with these "silent" diseases, and most don't know they're infected. They remain at risk of liver failure and liver cancer. Hep B and C are both preventable, easily diagnosed and treatable.
Hepatitis C The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends anyone born between 1945 and 1965 get tested for hep C. Baby boomers represent the majority of people dying from hep C-related causes.
Other people for whom testing is recommended:
People who received a blood transfusion prior to 1992
Anyone who has shared injection drug use equipment
Those born in, or who received medical care in, countries where hepatitis C is common (e.g. in East Asia, Africa, Middle East)
A new mobile app from the Hep Free NYC coalition called "NYC Liver Health: Hep B & C," provides a quick, easy quiz to help determine risk. You can also talk to your doctor about hep C screening. If the virus is detected, new oral medications offer more than a 90 percent cure rate.
Hepatitis B
The CDC encourages screening for those at risk of hepatitis B infection including:
People from countries where hepatitis B is prevalent (e.g. in Asia and Africa)
Household contact with infected persons
People who have shared injection drug use equipment
Those who are HIV-positive
Men who have sex with men
Hepatitis B may be passed from mother to infant during birth, though this can be prevented with medical intervention. Infant and childhood vaccine programs have greatly reduced new hepatitis B cases in the U.S. Hepatitis B can be managed with antiviral medications. It is important that all people living with Hep B see a doctor to assess their liver health and screen for liver cancer.
For more detailed information and resources about hepatitis B and C, please visit the CDC's viral hepatitis site.
World Hepatitis Day Screenings, Vaccines & Events Take part in the #WorldHepatitisDay #4000Voices social media campaign, and be included on a digital map collage of global tweets and a July 28 Thunderclap of social media posts simultaneously released.
Thank you Sue Preziott,i who supplied me with much of the information used in this blog. Sue is working with the Hep Free NYC Task Force, which is providing free screenings, health fairs, and a new mobile app called "Liver Health Hep C" which provides a quick, easy quiz to determine risk.
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