NEW YORK, April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is very common among Asian Americans and efforts need to be focused on catch-up vaccination, particularly in teenagers, were among the findings of the THINK B Leadership Conference held in New York and sponsored by the American Liver Foundation (ALF).
In addition, there needs to be greater public education, particularly to Asian Americans, so those who are infected can benefit from treatment advances. The Conference emphasized the importance of outreach to primary care physicians and physician extenders to better inform them of the availability of effective anti-HBV treatment and the importance of screening and vaccination.
An Executive Summary of the THINK B Leadership Conference is available at the ALF Web Site at: http://www.liverfoundation.org/.
“The challenges facing the Asian American community regarding hepatitis B are formidable,” said James Boyer, MD, Board Chairman of the American Liver Foundation. “This conference underscored the need for a working group of interested parties to develop a model HBV screening program that has a well-designed follow-up that would benefit other organizations across the country.”
THINK (The Hepatitis Information You Need to Know) B is the American Liver Foundation’s nationwide hepatitis B program for Asian Americans, who have the highest rates of chronic hepatitis B infection among all ethnic groups in the United States and are at high risk for liver cancer. As part of the initial phase of THINK B, the American Liver Foundation (ALF) convened a Leadership Conference on “Hepatitis B Prevention and Management in Asian Americans.”
The Conference faculty included 15 experts in hepatitis B who had personal interest or involvement in Asian American community outreach, and played host to more than 65 participants, including clinicians, community leaders and representatives from national and community-based organizations and pharmaceutical firms, contributed to the two-day conference. Eddie C. Cheung, MD, of the University of California, Davis, and Anna Lok, MD, of the University of Michigan, were the Conference co-chairs.
Presentations during the scientific sessions provided a clinical update on the natural history, prevention and management of chronic HBV infection, with an emphasis on how these relate to Asian Americans while workshop sessions provided a forum to discuss effective approaches for outreach to Asian American communities to raise hepatitis B awareness, foster opportunities for screening, and maintain high standards of medical care. Question-and-answer periods enabled the audience to discuss issues relating to clinical decision-making as well as share their considerable experience in community outreach.
The THINK B Leadership Conference was supported by unrestricted educational grants from major sponsors Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, Idenix Pharmaceuticals and Novartis, with additional support provided from Nabi Pharmaceuticals and Quest Diagnostics.
About the American Liver Foundation
The American Liver Foundation (ALF) is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization promoting liver health and disease prevention. ALF provides research, education and advocacy on behalf of those affected by hepatitis and other liver-related diseases. The toll-free number is 1-800- GO LIVER, and the Web site is: http://www.liverfoundation.org/.
Contact: Bob Madison 212-688-1000 ext. 137
Drs. Cheung and Lok are available for interviews. Please contact Bob Madison at the above address.
American Liver Foundation
CONTACT: Bob Madison, +1-212-688-1000 ext. 137, for American LiverFoundation
Web site: http://www.liverfoundation.org/