Hep B Blog

Monthly Archives: July 2019

Hepatitis B Advocacy

Eliminating Hepatitis B: Highlights of the Hep B United Summit 2019

Last week, the Hepatitis B Foundation, Hep B United, and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) hosted over 100 hepatitis B experts, advocates, and public health professionals in Washington D.C. to collaborate and share best practices on how to advance the elimination of hepatitis B. This year’s theme was Eliminating Hepatitis B: Local Change, Global Impact. The 7th annual Summit began with a day of advocacy on Capitol Hill, where attendees met with their states’ congressional members to make a case for legislative prioritization of the epidemic and increased funding for hepatitis B and liver cancer research. Following Advocacy Day were two days of educational sessions, networking, and coalition building activities that aimed to strengthen and expand our ability to address hepatitis B on a national level. 

The Summit was live-streamed on Hep B United’s Facebook; all of the sessions can be viewed here! Below are a few highlights of the Summit. Be sure to look out for the annual Summit Report in the upcoming weeks for a more comprehensive overview of the events! 

Highlights: 

  • We spoke to nearly  60 congressional offices. Some of our advocates got to personally speak with Representative Grace Meng, Representative Judy Chu, Senator Tammy Duckworth, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Representative Ilhan Omar!
  • Dr. Tim Block, co-founder, and President of the Hepatitis B Foundation, provided an update on the path to a hepatitis B cure and the stages of therapeutic drug development research. 
  • Right before the Summit, it was announced that 6 of our partners received grants from the HHS Office of Minority Health to conduct hepatitis B screening, education, linkage to care! 
  • Representatives Judy Chu and Grace Meng stopped by our Congressional Reception to share some inspiring words!
  • The new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Viral Hepatitis, Dr. Caroyln Wester, MD, MPH, stopped by to share current hepatitis B strategies at the CDC, and to emphasize the importance of funding. 
  • Five of our #justB storytellers shared their diverse personal stories about their hepatitis B journeys. Each story will be featured in the upcoming months, so be sure to stay tuned!
  • The New York City Health Department shared their research and work on the “Hep B  Moms Project”, which provides in-language services to hepatitis B positive mothers and helps link them to care. 
  • We displayed 14 hepatitis B-related research posters from partners across the nation! 
  • Our partners helped us to create an interactive World Hepatitis Day exhibit that was displayed on Capitol Hill on Friday, July 26th! The exhibit featured a map of all of the places where Hep B United’s partners work endlessly to eliminate hepatitis, and pledges from our partners & passersby to help #FindTheMissingMillions! 

 

 

 

Check out some more photos on Facebook! 

The Summit was a success, with partners feeling inspired and invigorated to continue the fight against hepatitis B. In addition to partnership building and creating political awareness, the annual gathering is a reminder of the power of collaboration, dedication, and persistence. 

HBV, Hepatitis B Advocacy

Join the Conversation at the 2019 Hep B United Summit; Watch Summit Sessions On Facebook Live!

 

 

The annual Hep B United Summit, organized by the Hepatitis B Foundation, convenes in Washington D.C. from Wednesday, July 24 through Thursday, July 25. The theme of the 2019 summit is Eliminating Hepatitis B: Local Change, Global Impact. National and local coalition partners, experts, stakeholders, and federal partners will meet to discuss how to increase hepatitis B testing and vaccination and improve access to care and treatment for individuals living with hepatitis B.

You can watch many of these sessions on Facebook Live. You can also follow the conversation at the Summit on Twitter with #Hepbunite19!

Facebook Live video streaming is available to all Pages and profiles on Facebook. Check out the agenda below and go to the Hep B United Facebook Page to view the live broadcast. Some breakout sessions may be broadcast from the Hepatitis B Foundation Facebook Page. Sessions will also be available following the broadcast for those who are not able to join us live.

Here are the details on the sessions that will be broadcast on Hep B United’s Facebook Live unless noted otherwise:

Day 1 – Wednesday July 24:

8:00 – 9:00 AM:  Welcome and Introductions
Tim Block, PhD, President & Co-Founder, Hepatitis B Foundation
Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH, Co-Chair, Hep B United and Senior Vice President, Hepatitis B Foundation
Jeff Caballero, MPH, Co-Chair, Hep B United and Executive Director, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)

9:00 AM: CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis 
Carolyn Wester, MD, MPH, Director, Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

9:30 AM: The Path to a Hepatitis B Cure
Tim Block, PhD, President and Co-Founder, Hepatitis B Foundation

10:15 AM: Local Initiatives: Eliminating Hepatitis B Across the Lifespan
Moderator: Catherine Freeland, MPH, Public Health Program Manager, Hepatitis B Foundation
Panelists:
Moon S. Chen, MPH, PhD, Professor, University of California – Davis
Liz Tang, Health Care Access Specialist, and Farma Pene, Health Care Coordinator, New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
Chelsie Porter, MPH, Prevention & Outreach Program Manager, Hepatitis Education Project

11:15 AM: Integrating Systems Level Changes to Eliminate Hepatitis B
Moderator: Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH, Senior Vice President, Hepatitis B Foundation
Panelists:        
Jeff Caballero, MPH, Executive Director, AAPCHO
Su Wang, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Center for Asian Health, Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ
Richard Andrews, MD, Research Director, HOPE Clinic, Houston, TX

12:30 PM: Lunch Keynote Presentation
Center for Disease Analysis Foundation
Devin Razavi-Shearer, Hepatitis B/D Project Lead

 1:45-3:00 PM  BREAKOUT SESSIONS I

Innovative Strategies to Conduct HBV Education, Testing, and Linkage to Care
Discuss effective outreach strategies to conduct HBV education, testing, and patient navigation among high-risk communities.
Moderator: Sherry Chen, MPH, CHES, CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis

Panelists:
Paul Lee and Ohkyun Ko, Korean Community Services, New York, NY
Chooson Byambaa & Tuya Lkhaijav, Hepatitis B Initiative of Washington, DC
Alia Southworth, Asian Health Coalition, Chicago, IL

Increasing HBV Provider Education (HepBFoundation Facebook)
Join the National Task Force on Hepatitis B to discuss the development of provider education tools to manage chronic hepatitis B in the primary care setting.
Facilitators: Amy Trang, PhD, MEd, Administrator and Richard Andrews, MD, Co-Chair, National Task Force on Hepatitis B

 

3:15 PM – 4:45 PM     BREAKOUT SESSIONS II

Local, National, and Global Efforts to Increase HBV Testing and Education Among African Communities (HepBFounation Facebook)
Discuss pioneering efforts and strategies to raise awareness and promote testing in African communities, whose hepatitis B burden rivals that of Asian Americans. Learn tips for education and how your organization can begin or expand current work.
Moderator: Cynthia Jorgensen, DrPH, CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis

Panelists:
Oni Richards, African Family Health Organization, Philadelphia, PA
Chioma Nnaji, Multicultural AIDS Coalition, Boston, MA
Sierra Pellechio, CHES, Hepatitis B Foundation
Catherine Freeland, MPH, Hepatitis B Foundation

Combating HBV-Related Stigma and Discrimination
Discuss the impact of HBV-related stigma and development of policies to combat institutional discrimination.
Moderator: Maureen Kamischke, Hepatitis B Foundation

Panelists:
Vrushabh Shah, MPH, NASTAD
Nadine Shiroma, Alexa Canizzo,, Hepatitis B Foundation

 

 Day 2 – Thursday July 25

8:30 AM: National Action Plan to Eliminate Hepatitis B
Carol Jimenez, Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives,  Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

9:00 AM: Global Efforts to Eliminate Hepatitis B
Su Wang, MD, MPH, President-Elect, World Hepatitis Alliance

  9:30 AM: Patients Driving Change: #justB Storytelling Campaign
Moderator: Rhea Racho, MPAff, Public Policy & Program Manager, Hepatitis B Foundation
#justB Storytellers Panel: Cuc Kim Vu, Peter Vo, Bright A., Xuan Phan, and Jacki Chen

11:00 AM: Improving Access to Hepatitis B Treatment
Panelists:
Michaela Jackson, MS, Public Health & Outreach Program Coordinator, Hepatitis B Foundation              
Alyssa Gallipani, PharmD, BCACP, Ambulatory Care Specialist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, RWJ Barnabas Health & Fairleigh Dickinson University
Carl Schmid, MBA, Deputy Executive, Director, The AIDS Institute

 12:15 PM:

EliminatingTuberculosis in Asian American Communities
Nickolas Deluca, PhD, Branch Chief, Communications, Education, and Behavioral Studies, Division of TB Elimination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 1:00 PM:  HBU Coalition Strategies
Facilitator: Amy Trang, PhD, Administrator, National Task Force on Hepatitis B

Not able to join the sessions with Facebook Live? Follow the conversation on Twitter using the #Hepbunite19 hashtag. Follow the events, retweet and engage with event attendees and help us raise hepatitis B awareness in the U.S. and around the globe. We’ll also be posting on twitter during our Advocacy Day, Tuesday, July 23rd.

World Hepatitis Day is July 28th, and this Summit is an opportunity to share with the world what we’re doing to help those living with hepatitis B in our communities. Other popular hashtags for World Hepatitis Day, and to raise hepatitis B awareness, include: #NOhep, #KnowHepB, #WorldHepatitisDay, #WorldHepDay, #WHD2019, #FindTheMissingMillions #hepatitis, #hepatitisB, #HBV, #hepB, #justB. Connect with, follow and engage with fellow partners and advocates on twitter to keep the hep B conversation going during the Hep B United Summit, World Hepatitis Day events, and beyond.

Check out: @AAPCHOpolicy, @aidsadvocacy, @alex_daleks, @aphfsd, @APPEALhealth, @AVACNow, @bentheactivator, @CAHE_AHC, @catherineafree, @CDAFound, @cdchep, @CDC_TB, @ChoosonB, @hepBaware, @HBIDC, @HepBFoundation, @HepBpolicy, @HepBUnited, @HepBUnitedPhila, @hepdconnect, @HepEduProject, @HepFreeHawaii, @hepfreeNYC, @HHS_ViralHep, @HOPECHC, @iwgroup, @jacki0362, @jeffaapcho, @KCSNY, @kmoraras, @Liz98223514, @nirahjohnson, @NYU_CSAAH, @ponnivp, @randrews98, @RheaRacho, @swang8 @tuugiil73

Missing from the list? Contact the Foundation at info@hepb.org to be added.

We’re having a World Hepatitis Day exhibit on Capitol Hill in the Rayburn Building Foyer,  Friday, July 26th from 10 am to 3 pm. We’ll be asking legislators and partners how they plan to “Find the Missing Millions” living with hepatitis B.

Visit the Hep B United and Hepatitis B Foundation websites for more information about hepatitis B and related programs.

HDV, Hepatitis Delta (HDV), Living with Hepatitis B

My Hepatitis B Viral Load is Low (Or Undetectable), Am I Still Infected with Hepatitis Delta?

For people who have been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B and delta coinfection, a low or undetectable hepatitis B viral load does not usually indicate that they’ve cleared both infections. This is because, in cases of coinfection, hepatitis delta usually becomes the dominant virus, and suppresses hepatitis B, slowing or even stopping its replication entirely. If someone is still positive for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), the hepatitis delta virus can still replicate (often with copies in the millions) and cause potential liver damage  1. For this reason, the test to measure hepatitis delta activity, the HDV RNA test, is important in disease monitoring and management  2,3. Available since 2013, the HDV RNA test can be acquired internationally through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and from several labs in the US. 

For those suspected of having acute hepatitis B and delta coinfection, HBsAg testing should follow 6 months after initial diagnosis. If HBsAg is negative (non-reactive), both infections are likely to have cleared. It’s important to remember that people who contract hepatitis B and delta during one exposure are likely to clear both viruses.  If HBsAg is positive (reactive) after 6 months, both infections are likely chronic (life-long). Those who are known to have a chronic hepatitis B infection and then become infected with hepatitis delta later on, they are likely to develop chronic coinfections.  

Following diagnosis with hepatitis B, with or without delta coinfection, it is important to have close, household contacts and sexual partners screened, and to follow simple prevention measures and practice safe sex using condoms.  

Both hepatitis B and delta are prevented with the safe and effective hepatitis B vaccine series.  

For more information on hepatitis B and delta coinfection, visit www.hepdconnect.org or contact us at connect@hepdconnect.org.  

References: 

  1. Huang, C. R., & Lo, S. J. (2014). Hepatitis D virus infection, replication and cross-talk with the hepatitisB virus. World journal of gastroenterology, 20(40), 14589–14597. 
  2. YurdaydınC, Tabak F, Idilman R; Viral Hepatitis Guidelines Study Group. Diagnosis, management and treatment of hepatitis delta virus infection: Turkey 2017 Clinical Practice Guidelines. Turk J Gastroenterol 2017; 28(Suppl 2); S84-S89. Available at: https://www.turkjgastroenterol.org/sayilar/304/buyuk/S84-S89.pdf 
  3. Tseng, C. H., & Lai, M. M. Hepatitis delta virus RNA replication.Viruses, 1(3), 818–831.  

Uncategorized

Developing a Strategic Plan to Cure Hepatitis B with the NIH

As you may know, two years ago the Hepatitis B Foundation started our Hepatitis B Cure Campaign, to promote increased public-sector investment in hepatitis B and liver cancer research. We have made great progress and wanted to provide an update. Earlier this year, the HBF submitted House Labor-HHS report language, and HBF President Dr. Timothy Block met with the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Deputy Director Dr. Lawrence Tabak, to urge the NIH to establish an inter-institute working group to coordinate NIH research focused on finding a cure for hepatitis B and liver cancer. 

We are pleased to let you know that due to this outreach, the NIH is establishing a Trans-Institute Hepatitis B Working Group. This Working Group has been tasked with developing a Strategic Plan to Cure Hepatitis B, which Dr. Tabak stated should be a “huge boost” to the shared goal of finding a cure for hepatitis B. The formation of the group follows the NIH’s release in February 2019 of a Request for Information (RFI) that asked members of the research community to provide input on a strategic framework for the Working Group. The RFI suggested the Strategic Plan focus on three areas of research that are essential to developing a cure for hepatitis B:

  • Understanding Hepatitis B Biology
  • Developing Tools and Resources
  • Developing Strategies to Cure Hepatitis B

NIH has reported that there was a very enthusiastic response to the RFI, and they are currently working to finalize an RFI Analysis Report and will include all the responses as an appendix. The report will help to guide the Working Group as they create their strategic elimination plan. Both the Trans-Institute Hepatitis B Cure Strategic Plan and the RFI Analysis Report will be made available to you in the coming months.

The Trans-Institute Hepatitis B Working Group is comprised of representatives from various Institutes within the NIH: the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). NIAID has been asked to lead and coordinate the Working Group.

This is good news as we work towards finding a cure for hepatitis B. All increased investments help support and implement the goal to eliminate hepatitis B globally. Having new treatments, and especially a cure, will be critical to reach this goal. Seeing the increased interest among the NIH, as well as the nation’s hepatitis B experts and researchers, is an exciting step in the journey to find a cure. 

Baruch S. Blumberg Institute