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Thursday, September 24, 2009

Friday, September 11, 2009

USAsian Wire: "Mayor Gavin Newsom Orders Hepatitis B Educational Materials to Be Distributed to the City's Newlyweds"

September 11, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO--(U.S. ASIAN WIRE) -- All couples registering for marriage licenses in San Francisco will now receive additional information on Hepatitis B, thanks to an executive directive issued by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on September 9, 2009, an auspicious day for many Asians. The directive orders the San Francisco County Clerk to offer information on hepatitis B testing and vaccination locations along with the required marriage license booklet. Hepatitis B information will be prepared and supplied by the Department of Public Health.

"The prevalence of Hepatitis B in San Francisco's Asian community demands intervention to increase awareness of this vaccine preventable disease," says Mayor Gavin Newsom in his executive directive. Mayor Newsom and Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, both active supporters of San Francisco Hep B Free, are leading the Hepatitis B awareness effort, along with more than 50 healthcare and Asian Pacific Islander (API) organizations.

San Francisco has the highest liver cancer rate in the nation, due to its high population of Asian Americans. HBV is the greatest health disparity between Asians and non-Asians. One in 10 Asians are chronically infected with Hep B and are 4 times more likely to die from liver cancer compared with the general population. 80% of liver cancer worldwide is caused by chronic HBV infection. Early detection of HBV will benefit the carrier as well as prevent the infection from spreading. Hepatitis B is not only vaccine preventable, but it also has effective treatments that can slow or prevent liver damage caused by the disease.

The SF Board of Supervisors and SF Health Commission have passed unanimous resolutions supporting SF Hep B Free. The 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. This initiative has received national attention and is being looked to as a model by the California legislature.

About San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign
San Francisco Hep B Free is a citywide campaign to turn San Francisco into the first HBV free city in the nation. This unprecedented campaign will screen, vaccinate and treat all San Francisco Asian and Pacific Islander (API) residents for HBV by providing convenient, free or low-cost testing opportunities at partnering health facilities and events.
San Francisco Hep B Free will be hosting its 2nd annual fundraiser - the B a Hero Gala on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at the Empress of China Restaurant Grand Ballroom located at 838 Grant Ave, San Francisco, beginning at 6 pm. For more information contact Tamiko Wong,twong@awfoundation.com or (415) 321-5865

http://www.sfhepbfree.org

Thursday, September 10, 2009

SF Examiner: "Get Married, Get Hep B Vaccine"

By: Mike Aldax

09/10/09 9:30 AM PDT

Young and happy couples fetching marriage licenses at City Hall are also poised to receive this piece of not-so-fun advice: Don’t forget to receive your Hepatitis B vaccinations!

On Wednesday Mayor Gavin Newsom directed The City and County Clerk to offer additional preventative information about the dangerous disease to couples applying for marriage licenses, including where they can be tested or receive vaccinations.

The Newsom directive says Hepatitis B largely affects The City’s Asian and Pacific Islander population and can cause acute illness and chronic infection including cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. It is easily transmitted from mother-to-child at birth, through unprotected sex or by contaminated blood on toothbrushes, razors or needles, the mayor said.

“An estimated 1 in 10 people of (Asian or Pacific Islander) descent in the Bay Area has an undiagnosed HBV infection compared to 1 in 1000 in the general population,” the mayor said in his executive directive.

Sing Tao Daily: "登記結婚附送抗B肝資料"


Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Press Release: "Mayor Gavin Newsom Orders Hepatitis B Educational Materials to Be Distributed to the City's Newlyweds"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Christine Hsu, media@sfhepbfree.org
or
Angela Pang, apang@asianweek.com, (415) 321-5894


Mayor Gavin Newsom Orders Hepatitis B Educational Materials to Be Distributed to the City's Newlyweds

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, September 9, 2009 - All couples registering for marriage licenses in San Francisco will now receive additional information on Hepatitis B, thanks to an executive directive issued by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on September 9, 2009, an auspicious day for many Asians. The directive orders the San Francisco County Clerk to offer information on hepatitis B testing and vaccination locations along with the required marriage license booklet. Hepatitis B information will be prepared and supplied by the Department of Public Health.


"The prevalence of Hepatitis B in San Francisco's Asian community demands intervention to increase awareness of this vaccine preventable disease," says Mayor Gavin Newsom in his executive directive.
Mayor Newsom and Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, both active supporters of San Francisco Hep B Free, are leading the Hepatitis B awareness effort, along with more than 50 healthcare and Asian Pacific Islander (API) organizations.


San Francisco has the highest liver cancer rate in the nation, due to its high population of Asian Americans. HBV is the greatest health disparity between Asians and non-Asians. One in 10 Asians are chronically infected with Hep B and are 4 times more likely to die from liver cancer compared with the general population. 80% of liver cancer worldwide is caused by chronic HBV infection. Early detection of HBV will benefit the carrier as well as prevent the infection from spreading. Hepatitis B is not only vaccine preventable, but it also has effective treatments that can slow or prevent liver damage caused by the disease.


The SF Board of Supervisors and SF Health Commission have passed unanimous resolutions supporting SF Hep B Free. The 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. This initiative has received national attention and is being looked to as a model by the California legislature.

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About San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign
San Francisco Hep B Free is a citywide campaign to turn San Francisco into the first HBV free city in the nation. This unprecedented campaign will screen, vaccinate and treat all San Francisco Asian and Pacific Islander (API) residents for HBV by providing convenient, free or low-cost testing opportunities at
partnering health facilities and events.


San Francisco Hep B Free will be hosting its 2nd annual fundraiser - the B a Hero Gala on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at the Empress of China Restaurant Grand Ballroom located at 838 Grant Ave, San Francisco, beginning at 6pm. For more information contact Tamiko Wong, twong@awfoundation.com or (415) 321-5865.

http://www.sfhepbfree.org

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