A Rally for Viral Hepatitis Awareness and Testing

SAN FRANCISCO - April 20, 2018 - PRLog -- On May 18th, the San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco Hep B Free – Bay Area, the San Francisco Hepatitis C Task Force, End Hep C SF, and various other community partners will come together for a rally on the steps of City Hall to raise awareness of hepatitis B and C and to encourage testing.

WHEN: Friday, May 18, 2018 12:00PM to 1:00PM

Free Hepatitis B & C screening – 1:00PM – 2:00PM at our mobile testing van

WHERE: San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl

WHO:
Barbara Garcia - Director, San Francisco Department of Public Health

Supervisor Katy Tang – District 4, San Francisco

Andrew Desruisseau, M.D. - End Hep C SF

Tom Ammiano – Former CA State Assemblymember and SF Board of Supervisor

Robin Roth – San Francisco Hepatitis C Task Force

Arcadi Kolchak – San Francisco Hep B Free – Bay Area

HONORING:
Richard Ow – Hepatitis B Community Advocate Award

Pauli Gray – Hepatitis C Community Advocate Award

Since the year 2000, over 22,000 chronic hepatitis B cases have been reported to the San Francisco Department of Public Health. With over 80% of all newly reported chronic hepatitis B cases in San Francisco having been identified in the Asian and Pacific Islander community; with consideration of the statistic of 1 in 12 Asian and Pacific Islander adults being chronically infected and 2 out of 3 not knowing it, there is still a lot of screening to do to identify those that are chronically infected.

In contrast, approximately 22,000 chronic hepatitis C cases have also been identified and reported to the San Francisco Department of Public Health, with an estimated 12,000 more being viremic (having the virus present in their blood). Hepatitis C has an increased burden of chronic infection among those who inject drugs, baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), the MSM (men who have sex with men) population, and trans women.

Richard Ow – Born in Canton China in 1930, Richard worked for the San Francisco USPS for 30 years after serving in the United States military. He was identified as chronically infected with hepatitis B 10 years ago during a San Francisco Hep B Free event. As a Chinese American, Richard does not fear his hepatitis B status and openly shares it in hopes of encouraging others in the Chinese community to, "Go out and get tested!"

Pauli Gray – Senior Hepatitis C Coordinator at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation Syringe Access Service. He is a Harm Reduction Specialist working with exceptional dedication and skill to bring needed services to stop the transmission of hepatitis C and connect people to the hepatitis C cure. Having been cured of hepatitis C himself, Pauli works to create successful, innovative programs to test and link others to care. Pauli is an active member of the SF Hepatitis C Task Force and is part of the Coordinating Committee of End Hep C SF.

San Francisco Hepatitis C Task Force ­- Recognizing that San Francisco had been hit hard by the HCV epidemic, representatives of public health organizations, educators and civic groups convened in 2008 with the purpose of creating a local response. In May 2009, Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed a panel to serve on the San Francisco Hepatitis C Task Force and charged the group with developing a comprehensive set of recommendations to address the hepatitis C epidemic. Our goals and recommendations were published in 2010 and are updated annually. They are available at www.sfhepc.org. The Task Force meets monthly and meetings are open to the general public.

Hep B Free Bay Area - San Francisco Hep B Free - Bay Area is a citywide campaign to turn San Francisco into the first hepatitis B free city in the nation. This unprecedented campaign will provide free and low-cost hepatitis B testing and vaccinations to Asian and Pacific Islander (API) adults at locations throughout San Francisco. Click here (http://sfhepbfree.org/images/pdf/LogicModel.pdf) to download a logic model detailing how this campaign works. The SF Hep B Free Campaign puts San Francisco at the forefront of the nation in fighting chronic hepatitis B. It is the largest, most intensive healthcare campaign for Asian and Pacific Islanders in the U.S.

End Hep C SF - End Hep C SF (http://www.endhepcsf.org/) envisions a San Francisco where hepatitis C is no longer a public health threat, and hepatitis C related health inequities have been eliminated. Our mission is to support all San Franciscans living with, and at risk for, hepatitis C to maximize their health and wellness. We achieve this through prevention, education, testing, treatment, and linkage to reduce morbidity and mortality related to hepatitis C.