Hepatitis Education Promotion

IOM calls for campaign to educate public, medical community about hepatitis B, C.

The Los Angeles Times (1/12, Lin) reports that a paper appearing in the National Academy of Sciences reveals that "hepatitis B and C remain serious threats to public health." Yet, "most of the estimated three to five million people with chronic hepatitis B or C don't know they have the diseases," and by the "time they start to show symptoms, they may have developed scarring of the liver or liver cancer and can be close to death."
Investigators at the Institute of Medicine also predict that "in the next 10 years, these two liver-damaging infections will kill about 150,000 people in the US alone," the AP (1/12) reports. "Further compounding the problem...is the generally low level of knowledge about these infections among healthcare workers and social service providers," Medscape (1/11, Barclay) noted. "Many providers do not comply with guideline recommendations for hepatitis B and C screening, prevention, treatment, and follow-up services," and monies are channeled towards other public health initiatives.
CQ HealthBeat (1/11, Norman) reported that it is hoped the "report will prompt Congress to take up HR 3974," a measure that "would direct the secretary of Health and Human Services to establish, promote and support a comprehensive prevention, education, research, and medical management referral program for viral hepatitis infection."
Specifically, the IOM "recommends increased vaccination requirements, a boost in resources for prevention and treatment, and a public-awareness campaign that is similar to the one that has helped dispel the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS," according to Modern Healthcare (1/11, Zigmond).