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Alan Franciscus

Editor-in-Chief

HCV Advocate



Showing posts with label Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Show all posts

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Advancing the Treatment and Prevention of Hepatitis B and C

Subtitle: National APAMSA Hepatitis B and Conference – November 2014

BOSTON, MA — On Saturday, November 8, 2014, the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) hosted its annual National APAMSA Hepatitis B and C Conference featuring some of the world’s leading hepatologists. Through a series of lectures and a research poster session, the annual conference seeks to inform medical and premedical students about the current developments in Hepatitis B&C treatment and prevention. A physician-student mentorship luncheon session also presents additional opportunities for conference attendees to engage in discussions about Hepatitis B and C outreach efforts in their local communities.
With over 2 billion people in world affected by HBV in the past and present, and with 15-40% those cases developing liver cirrhosis, liver disease, or liver cancer, we really have the opportunity to have a global impact in treating this disease.
                                                                                                                                             – Dr. Daryl Lau
Although Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) are not identical viruses, they are transmitted through similar methods and both are among the leading causes of liver cancer in the world. HBV and HCV are commonly referred to as the “silent killers” because infected patients can remain asymptomatic for many years and may not experience symptoms until the infection has progressed to chronic stages, resulting in severe liver disease or cancer. Therefore, those infected can unknowingly transmit the virus to others. Over one million people in the world die each year from HBV and HCV liver associated diseases. Furthermore, since both are transmitted by blood and blood-derived bodily fluids, there are concerns about the potential of mother-to-child vertical transmission.