Executive Summary Now Available from Hepatitis B and C National Expert Policy Forum

A diverse group of experts and community members convened this past September to discuss development of a coordinated national response to chronic viral hepatitis in the U.S. through improved prevention, detection, and patient care. An executive summary of the forum report, "The Dawn of a New Era: Transforming our Domestic Response to Hepatitis B & C," is now available.

The forum, held September 10-11 in Washington, DC, brought together some 200 public health, medical, government, and community experts with experience in the areas of hepatitis B and C.

The meeting was sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the American Gastroenterological Association's AGA Institute, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Support was provided through educational grants from Gilead Sciences, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Key areas discussed at the forum, and covered in the report, include:

	Raising awareness about chronic hepatitis B and C, particularly among populations at high risk for infection and their health care providers.
	Expanding HBV and HCV screening campaigns so infected individuals can be connected to care before they develop serious liver damage.
	Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities that can impede prompt diagnosis and appropriate medical care.
	Ensuring that patients with chronic viral hepatitis -- many of whom are uninsured, underinsured, or underserved -- have access to quality care.

"The Dawn of a New Era: Transforming our Domestic Response to Hepatitis B & C" Executive Summary is available online.

10/20/09

Source
The Dawn of a New Era: Transforming our Domestic Response to Hepatitis B & C (Executive Summary). Expert forum. Washington, DC. September 10-11, 2009.