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300 Million Reasons, About Hepatitis B, HBV, Hepatitis B Awareness, Hepatitis B Prevention, Liver, Liver Health

Team Helpatitis: Students and Teachers Come Together to Raise Awareness of Hepatitis B in India! 

 

Hepatitis B is a critical public health crisis in India.  With over 40 million HBV carriers, it is estimated that over 115,000 people die each year from hepatitis B related causes and one million newborn babies are at risk of developing hepatitis B in India. 1 

In an effort to raise awareness for hepatitis B and contribute to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) viral hepatitis elimination plan, teachers and students at Amity International School in New Delhi, India launched Team Helpatitis to promote hepatitis B education.. Science teachers have integrated hepatitis B education in their extra-curricular activities to teach students about chronic hepatitis and liver health. School events and festivals have provided unique opportunities for students, teachers, and parents to come together and learn about the importance of prevention strategies like hepatitis B screenings in making India hepatitis free!  

Diwali Lamps Bring Hope and Awareness to the hepatitis B Cause in India 

During the month of Diwali, a religious festival of lights, Team Helpatitis students designed liver shaped oil lamps to promote awareness. These lamps are made from clay pots and are lit every year on Diwali to represent the transition from darkness into light in the coming new year. Students and teachers hope to combat the stigma and misconceptions associated with hepatitis B though these lamps. The lamps were distributed to school students and teachers to bring home and share the important message of hope and resilience with their friends and families. 

 

 

 

 

 

The liver shaped lamps were sculpted, packaged, and distributed by the students and teachers to raise awareness of hepatitis B during the Diwali festivities at their school.

Pin-O-Liv: Dart Throwing Competition to Understand the Difference between Good and Bad Liver Habits! 

The Winter Carnival at Amity International provided a platform for students to showcase their learning outside of the classroom and educate attendees about healthy and unhealthy habits for their liver. The students chose an interactive sport to keep the players informed and entertained. They created a dartboard with pictures representing good and bad lifestyle habits and their impact on the liver. Before the game, players were briefed on liver health and ways to keep the liver healthy and safe. Players were given five darts and challenged to hit the images with unhealthy habits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students participate in the dart-throwing competition to “kill” the bad habits that destroy our liver

Livbola: Students reinvent tambola to promote hepatitis B education among children and adults 

Tambola is a slightly different version of Bingo and is a beloved pastime of south Asian communities. The students were given a short presentation on hepatitis B and liver cancer. They were then introduced to the rules of the game and were quizzed on questions related to hepatitis and liver health. Prizes were distributed to players to encourage participation. The players included students, school staff, and community members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

School staff, students, and parents play the Livbola game during their annual winter carnival

The Hepatitis B Foundation was recently approached by the teachers at Team Helpatitis for a live session on hepatitis B. The Foundation met with the students and teachers via zoom a few weeks ago and discussed the physical, social, and financial impact of hepatitis B.  We also discussed the importance of preventative strategies like vaccines in promoting positive health outcomes for all communities.  

 

 

 

 

 

The students and teachers of Amity International School met with the Foundation for an introductory session on hepatitis B on zoom.

 

By participating in these activities, projects, and festivities with the help of their school’s leadership and administration, Team Helpatitis has expanded their reach beyond the classroom and amplified the voices of public health workers, advocates, and people living with hepatitis B! Check out Team Helpatitis’ social media channels to stay updated! 

Team Helpatitis’ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/helpatitis_aisv1_yppteam/ 

 

References: 

chrome extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/searo/india/health-topic-pdf/factsheet-b-hepatitisday2016.pdf?sfvrsn=da61ef0_2#:~:text=In%20India%2C%20the%20prevalence%20of,D%2C%20followed%20by%20Aand%20C. 

Premkumar, M., & Kumar Chawla, Y. (2021). Chronic Hepatitis B: Challenges and Successes in India. Clinical liver disease, 18(3), 111–116. https://doi.org/10.1002/cld.1125 

 

About Hepatitis B, Hepatitis B Awareness, Liver, Liver Health

What is the Difference Between hepatitis B and Fatty Liver Disease?

Many people have trouble understanding the relationship between chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). While research studies are ongoing and the association between hepatitis B and NAFLD is indeed complex, a chronic hepatitis B infection does not cause NAFLD. It is important to understand both diseases independently of one another before studying the correlation between the two.  

Hepatitis B and fatty liver disease both can damage the liver. This is why it is important to understand the role of the liver in maintaining overall health and well-being. The liver is an essential organ in your body and is responsible for supporting digestion and regulating nutrients. It plays a crucial role in removing toxic substances from your body.  

Worldwide, almost 300 million people are living with hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is transmitted through direct contact with infected blood, unprotected sex with an infected individual, use of contaminated medical or injection equipment, and most commonly, from an infected mother to her newborn during childbirth. A chronic (lasting longer than six months) hepatitis B infection can damage the liver and may progress to more serious conditions like cirrhosis, fibrosis, and even liver cancer. While hepatitis B is a major public health problem, it can be prevented through a safe and effective vaccine. And even though hepatitis B is a serious disease, most people live healthy and productive lives with effective management and treatment.  

NAFLD is caused by the excess accumulation of fat in the liver not related to  alcohol use. Over time, this may lead to inflammation or swelling and liver damage. There are two types of NAFLD: 1). Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver (NAFL) or Simple Fatty Liver and 2) Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH). Someone who has NAFL has fat buildup in their liver. Someone who has NASH also has liver damage and liver inflammation, which can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and may even result in the need for a liver transplant. Type II Diabetes and obesity puts an individual at a higher risk for contracting NAFLD. In the United States, around 20% to 40% of individuals are living with NAFLD. The good news is that NAFLD can be reversed with changes in diet, physical activity patterns, and seeing a doctor regularly.  

It is possible to have both NAFLD and hepatitis B. If you are living with both, the impact of the virus on an already inflamed and compromised liver can lead to liver damage. With excess fat stored in liver cells, the virus can easily replicate without the protection from healthy liver cells and progress to a more severe form of liver disease like cirrhosis, fibrosis, or cancer at a much faster rate.   

Like hepatitis B, NAFLD should not be taken lightly as it can lead to serious health problems. It is important to consult with your doctor to find any concerns with your liver. 

For more information, please visit the National Institute of Digestive Disease and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) or the Fatty Liver Foundation.

 

References:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fatty-liver-disease-what-it-is-and-what-to-do-about-it-2019011015746 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/nash-fibrosis#causes 

Hepatitis B Awareness, World Hepatitis Day

292 Million People Worldwide Have Hepatitis B – So Why Do We Feel Alone?

 

Hepatitis B is the global pandemic no one talks about, yet 292 million people worldwide have been infected. In 2015, the World Health Organization estimated that hepatitis B caused 887,000 deaths annually.

Today, 292 million people have chronic hepatitis B1. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, the number of people living with hepatitis B virus is projected to remain at the current, unacceptably high level for decades and cause 20 million deaths through 2030.

How can this happen? Viral hepatitis infection and death rates far outstrip that of ebola and zika. In fact, you have to combine the death toll from HIV and tuberculosis to find human suffering on par with what viral hepatitis causes around the world each year. How has this pandemic remained so hidden and ignored for so long? There are several factors that have kept hepatitis B off public health’s global radar. It’s a complicated, silent infection, often with few or no symptoms. Those who have it have been silenced by shame and ignorance, and more than two-thirds of those infected with hepatitis B have never been tested and are unaware of their positive status.

And then there’s avoidance by the global healthcare community. The development of a hepatitis B vaccine 40 years ago was thought to signal the death knell of this disease. While new infections have plummeted in North America and Europe, in impoverished countries, the vaccine is often not available or too expensive and infected mothers continue to unknowingly infect their children at birth.

There have been successful hepatitis B immunization campaigns around the world, even in poor, remote areas, but there’s a catch. The Global Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) provides a free hepatitis B pentavalent vaccine which is effective in children starting at 6 weeks of age. To break the mother-to-child infection cycle, a different and more costly hepatitis B vaccine must be administered as-soon-as-possible, within 12 hours of birth. However, this vaccine is often unavailable and out-of-reach financially in rural Africa and Asia, which is why chronic hepatitis B rates remain stubbornly high and are projected to remain unchanged.

To successfully combat hepatitis B, communities need to launch campaigns that combat stigma and teach how to prevent the spread of the disease through education and immunization. They need the resources to test people for hepatitis B and vaccinate those who need it. They also need to teach healthcare providers how to treat patients with liver damage.

Fortunately, we have started to see change. On May 28, 2016, at the United Nations World Health Assembly, 194 countries made a historic commitment to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030. The Global Health Sector Strategy for Viral Hepatitis pledges to reduce deaths from hepatitis B and C by 65 percent and increase treatment by 80 percent. This action is the greatest global commitment to viral hepatitis ever taken.

On July 28, 2016, a campaign called NOhep, the first global movement to eliminate viral hepatitis, launched on World Hepatitis Day by the World Hepatitis Alliance. This day was chosen to mark the birthday of Baruch S. Blumberg, MD, D.Phil, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of the hepatitis B virus.

Many of our partners and other organizations around the world are raising awareness to highlight World Hepatitis Day. Here are some of the activities you can support.

WHO – The World Health Organization is celebrating World Hepatitis Day through its theme: Hepatitis-free future with a strong focus on perinatal transmission. Read more about their efforts here. You can register to join their global virtual event, WHO Commemoration of World Hepatitis Day, on July 28th 1pm-3:15pm CEST here.

Hep B United – Yesterday, in anticipation of World Hepatitis Day, Hep B United kicked off a week of action with a call where we heard about the importance of hepatitis B elimination from hepatitis B advocates and representatives Judy Chu and Grace Meng. You can advocate for hepatitis B elimination here.

Hep B United and the Hepatitis B Foundation will have a #ThrowbackWHD twitter storm all day July 28th,  World Hepatitis Day! Partners and hepatitis B advocates are encouraged to share memories from past in-person Hep B United Summits and Advocacy Days.  Share your memories, pics, and videos with the hashtags: #ThrowbackWHD #WorldHepatitisDay and #Hepbunite.

Global Liver Institute – On July 28 at 12:30pm-1pm ET, the Global Liver Institute will host GLI LIVE on the Global Liver Institute’s Facebook page. Dr Chari Cohen will discuss the progress and challenges with eliminating hepatitis B globally, and strategies for commemorating World Hepatitis Day.

DiaSorin hosts Dr. Robert Gish, renowned hepatologist and HBF medical director – July 28th, 12 pm ET. Register now for Laboratory Testing for Viral Hepatitis: What’s new and what has changed?

Hep Free Hawaii – On World Hepatitis Day, July 28th at 12pm HST, Hep Free Hawaii will unveil Hawaii’s first Hepatitis B Elimination Strategy. More information and registration here!

CEVHAP and Burnet Institute – The Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Asian Pacific and the Burnet Institute is hosting a webinar on July 24th at 11am (GMT+5) to discuss access to hepatitis care, the world of hepatitis amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and literacy on COVID-19 and hepatitis. You can stream it here.

You can be part of this global social justice movement. Take action, speak out, and join the effort to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030. In anticipation of World Hepatitis Day 2020, NOhep is asking you to urge governments worldwide to uphold their commitment to eliminate hepatitis B. Add your voice to the open letter here.

For more information, visit the NOhep website, the Hepatitis B Foundation website or Hep B United’s website to learn how to lend your voice to this fight and to help address hepatitis and save lives in your community.

 

Reference

  1. Razavi H. (2020). Global Epidemiology of Viral Hepatitis. Gastroenterology clinics of North America, 49(2), 179–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gtc.2020.01.001

Living with Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B Positive Speakers Discuss HepB with Geraldine Doogue

Heartfelt discussion with the “Hepatitis B Positive Speakers Group”, led by Australia’s Geraldine Doogue, ABC TV and Radio. Join Yvonne, David, Trevor, Linh and “Tina”, as they discuss their personal hepatitis B experiences -living with the stigma, and discrimination you can both see and “not quite put your finger on”, and their willingness to give back, and to increase community awareness.

If you’re on the Hepatitis B Information and Support Listserve, you may recognize Yvonne, one of the list moderators who mentions the emotional support she gets from her her cyber friends. 

Thank you Hepatitis Australia for sharing this discussion! 

 

Baruch S. Blumberg Institute