On Tuesday, July 21st, I attended a Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill coordinated to highlight and address the existing disparities in viral hepatitis. The briefing - put on by Hepatitis Foundation International - was organized to advance legislation for the cause of both the Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C viruses. To briefly summarize the issue at hand, HBV and HCV have become the leading causes of liver cancer, and HCV has surpassed HCV as the United States' deadliest blood borne infection. In addition to the problem, the disparities with Viral Hepatitis amplify the problem for various minority groups. These groups include Asian American and Pacific Islanders, who account for almost half of all Americans living with HBV, yet only make up 4.8% of the population. For the African Americans, the prevalence of HCV is twice as much as that of the general population. In Latinos, the rate of HCV infection is rising sharply, and for Native Americans the mortality rate is three times greater than non-Hispanic whites. These are just a small few of the disparities devastating communities in America. In addition, for individuals with substance abuse problems, baby boomers, veterans, homeless adults, and incarcerated populations, viral hepatitis remains an increased threat to their health and well-being compared to the general population.
Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Minority HealthThe briefing brought in various speakers, the first being Dr. J. Nadine Gracia who serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health at the US Department of Health and Human Services. She gave, in my opinion, a phenomenal speech urging experts, leaders, and advocates in public health to take responsibility for the disparities on hand. She made a poignant remark on the fact that the because the US is shifting towards a majority - minority population, it is much more imperative to close the gap on health disparities. She also remarked on the fact that the health services don't meet the needs, nor have the quality to address cultural differences between patient and provider, and that future investments in prevention and treatment will have to accommodate for the people that they serve.
Dr. Nicole Smith, Associate Policy Director, Viral Hepatitis, NCHHSTP
The next speaker was Dr. Nicole Smith, the Associate Director for Policy at the Division of Viral Hepatitis under the National Center for HIV/Aids, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at CDC, discussed the current efforts the CDC was pursuing to reduce rates of viral hepatitis. Some goals of the programs include educating providers and communities on viral hepatitis, improving linkage to care and treatment, reducing viral hepatitis cases associated with drug use, and strengthening surveillance and coordination. CDC is funding many Community Based Organizations to take on these tasks.
The final speakers included three individuals impacted by Hepatitis C or B. One individual from Baltimore, MD had been living with HCV for over 25 years, and lost her husband in December to complications from liver disease due to HCV infection. Another woman, an immigrant and veteran, lived with HBV all of her life, and was faced with dealing with language barriers and working with the US healthcare system as she took on the burden of translating for her parents who were living with HBV as well. Finally, one women who adopted a son from Western Europe dealt with caring for her son who developed cirrhosis at age 4, yet wasn't sick enough to receive treatment and the stigma she faced caring for him. All of these individuals were from minority backgrounds with elevated burdens of hepatitis, yet all of them spent their lives educating others on hepatitis and the difficulties faced by minorities including stigma, language barriers, and access to quality and culturally competent medical care.
All in all this was a very informative, and valuable briefing containing conversations that are very necessary considering the current state of viral hepatitis. If you'd like to learn more about the briefing, or the efforts Hepatitis Foundation International is taking to eliminate viral hepatitis, visit http://www.hepatitisfoundation.org/.
