First National Hepatitis B Awareness Week and Congressional Briefing

Hepatitis B outreach and advocacy efforts received a major boost in May 2005 with the U.S. Congressional resolution declaring a National Hepatitis B Awareness Week. In an historic and bipartisan resolution, Congress unanimously called for Americans to observe the week of May 9 with activities to spotlight hepatitis B as an important public health concern.

Co-sponsors of this landmark resolution included U.S. Senators Rick Santorum (R, PA) and Dianne Feinstein (D, CA), and Representatives Mike Honda (D, CA) and Tim Murphy (R, PA). This event was featured in The New York Times and included a photo of Sen. Santorum announcing National Hepatitis B Awareness Week.

The Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF), in partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb, initiated a complementary public awareness program - "AIM for the B: Awareness, Involvement and Mobilization for Chronic Hepatitis B" - launched to coincide with the hepatitis B awareness week. Local physicians and patients in four cities gathered to share their experiences with the disease and to discuss the importance of early diagnosis and care.

On July 21, the national momentum for AIM for the B continued with the first Congressional Briefing on Hepatitis B hosted by Sen. Santorum. Nearly 85 Congressional leaders, government committee members, and health officials attended. Rep. Honda made an exciting announcement about a plan to introduce a comprehensive hepatitis B bill in the upcoming Congressional session.

A distinguished panel of experts were invited to speak and included Dr. Timothy Block, president of the HBF, who served as moderator; Dr. Jay Hoofnagle, director, Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, National Institutes of Health (NIH); Dr. John Ward, director, Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control (CDC); Dr. Mack Mitchell, director, astroenterology, Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Arline Loh, patient advocate; and Thelma King-Thiel, chairman, Hepatitis Foundation International.

The congressional briefing provided an opportunity for leaders from the NIH, CDC, and patient advocacy groups to highlight this disease among key policy makers. The message for the day was clear - hepatitis B must become a top health priority in the U.S. There needs to be increased awareness and education efforts, and increased federal funding for agencies such as the CDC and NIH geared to solving (and ultimately eradicating) this urgent health problem.

BInformed, Fall 2005.