Asian Liver Center–

In California

Assembly Bill 158, authored by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, recently passed out of the Assembly Health Committee and has been undergoing revisions, the latest as of 5/7//2008. This important bill will provide care for all uninsured and under-insured people who are chronically infected with hepatitis B, with no raise in taxes. The prevention efforts will be conducted in a culturally appropriate manner in order to reach the API population who are the most impacted by hepatitis B. Please help pass California Bill AB 158! Print, sign and mail our Letter of Support (PDF) to show your support for this important piece of legislation.

 At a rally in Sacremento, a group of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans gathered on the steps of the Sacramento Capitol Building. They held signs showing important hepatitis B statistics and calling for California State Assembly Bill AB158 to be passed.

In the United States

National Hepatitis B Act: The first ever Hepatitis Bill, H.R. 4550 was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on December 15, 2005 by Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA), and Congressman Charlie Dent (R-PA). The Hepatitis B Bill, S. 3558, was introduced to the Senate by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Rick Santorum (R-PA) on June 22, 2006. The ALC worked with these congresspeople and a coalition of partners including the Hepatitis B Foundation, NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health, AAPCHO, ALF, and Hepatitis International.

The National Hepatitis B Act would have amended the Public Health Service Act to develop a national plan for hepatitis B and liver cancer. It would have directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop strategies that will expand vaccination services, education and training, surveillance, and research among high-risk populations. Some details incorporated into the National Hepatitis B Act included protection of persons who test positive for hepatitis B or liver cancer from adverse reactions from their insurance company or employer. It would also have required children entering public and private pre-schools and elementary schools to receive the hepatitis B vaccination.

Sadly, the National Hepatitis B Act was not approved by the House or the Senate. The hepatitis B bill was reintroduced in the house for the 2007-08 congress as HR3944. The Asian Liver Center will be working with our partners and several members of Congress in the near future to get the Hepatitis B Act back on the table and to get it approved.

You can click here to read the HBV Bill H.R. 4550 and click here to read the HBV Bill S. 3558. Please write to your representatives to support the bill!

National Hepatitis B Awareness Week: Congressman Mike Honda co-sponsored a bill early in 2006 to designate the first National Hepatitis B Awareness Week in May 2006. Congress approved a resolution that acknowledged the heavy burden that APIs carry with chronic HBV infection and related deaths. The resolution recognizes the need for a comprehensive public education and awareness campaign designed to help patients and their physicians identify and manage the illness.

Congressman Mike Honda speaks about the HBV Bill at the National Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference (NVHPC), recognizing the Asian and Pacific Islander community as a high-risk group for hepatitis B.

Recommendations for ACIP Guidelines: In February, 2005 Dr. So submitted a letter to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on behalf of the National Hepatitis B Taskforce stressing the need for Asian Americans to be delineated in the ACIP adult HBV recommendations. The ACIP makes recommendations for routine administration of vaccines. These guidelines include information about the immunization timeline, dosage size, and other important information for the vaccine.




In China

In April 2004, the Jade Ribbon Campaign was launched by the ALC in China. Dr. So gave a keynote address at a national conference on "Why Eradicating Hepatitis B Should Be a National Priority in China."



Last Updated: July 9, 2008

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