The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University is getting excited and ready for the 7th Annual Youth Leadership Conference on Asian and Pacific Islander Health that will be held at Stanford NEXT WEEK!  Amy, Christine and our Intern team have been working countless hours on the planning and organization for this fantastic event. 

I can’t believe that another year has already gone by since my first YLC last year.  I had such a great time last year.  YLC is really one of my favorite events and projects that we work on at the ALC.  YLC brings over 100 high school students from across the country together to learn hepatitis B and liver cancer basics, explore outreach and educational strategies, develop leadership and teamwork skills, and create their own HBV campaign.  And boy, oh boy, do those lucky high school students (chosen from many stellar applicants) have a real treat in store for this year’s project!  It is going to be AWESOME.

Along with me, our other ALC staff, and returning Interns and JRYC members, there will even be another repeat attendee this year: my youngest brother, Ian, will be participating at YLC for his second year in a row.  Ian comes all the way across the country from Baltimore, Maryland (my hometown – go Ravens!) and he is very excited to hopefully lead his team to victory again (as he was in the winning team last summer….)

We look forward to seeing all you high school students next Wednesday at 2pm!

All the best,
Alena
 

One of our ALC Interns has been dedicated to working on Filipino Community Outreach, especially in the Bay Area. 

Pinoys in California wage battle vs 'silent epidemic'
KIMBERLY JANE T. TAN, GMANews.TV
07/28/2009 | 06:41 PM

As the world focuses its attention on the A(H1N1) pandemic, Filipinos in California are gearing up to fight hepatitis B, a disease which they fear has become a “silent epidemic."

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hepatitis B is “a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus."

It said that hepatitis B can cause chronic (long-term) liver disease and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer, making it “a major global health problem."

It said the disease can also cause an acute illness with symptoms that last several weeks, including yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

People can take several months to a year to recover from the symptoms.

Data from the WHO showed that worldwide, an estimated two billion people have been infected with the hepatitis B virus, and more than 350 million have chronic liver infections.

The Asian Liver Center (ALC) at Stanford University in California said that hepatitis B takes about 700,000 lives each year or about one life every 30 seconds.

But what’s noticeable, said the ALC, is that over 76 percent of people chronically infected with the virus live in Asia.

It noted that in the Philippines alone, an estimated 16 million people are living with chronic Hepatitis B, making liver cancer the second most common cancer among men.

The fight against the “silent epidemic"

To address this issue, several Filipino communities in California will be partnering with ALC in campaigning against the disease.

“Because there is such a large Filipino population in the county, the ALC is working to develop partnerships with local Filipino organizations so that community members are involved and empowered," Nicole Tantoco, a Stanford undergraduate student and intern at the ALC, told GMANews.TV in an e-mail.

Tantoco said they will be pushing for the “San Mateo Hep B Free Campaign" which seeks to test and vaccinate all Asian and Pacific Islander residents in the San Mateo County.

The San Mateo County, which includes cities like Daly City, San Bruno, and South San Francisco, is home to over 75,000 Filipinos – a tenth of the county’s population.

Because of this, she said they are working at “a more grassroots level" to provide free screenings and educational seminars about hepatitis B at local churches.

“This will bring services and information to the traditionally underserved community," she said.

Once the campaign is up and running this fall, Tantoco said they will finally be able to refer parishioners to local hospitals and clinic for free or low-cost services.

In addition, Tantoco said the ALC and the Philippine Department of Health are currently working together to produce informational brochures to distribute in health clinics and barangays. - GMANews.TV

FIGHTING HEPATITIS B
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How does hepatitis B spread?
• It is mainly transmitted in three ways: birth, blood, and sex
• It is not spread through air, food, water, breastfeeding, casual contact, kissing, hugging, coughing, sneezing, and sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses.

What do you do about it?
• Get tested for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).
• If you are not infected, get vaccinated (3 shots over 6 months).
(The hepatitis B vaccine is 95 percent effective in preventing the infection and its chronic consequences. It is the first vaccine against a major human cancer.)
• If you are infected, see your doctor or a liver specialist for routine monitoring and treatment, if appropriate.
• Help promote awareness in your community.

- taken from the primer on hepatitis B of the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University

Another busy week at the Asian Liver Center!

Alison and I just finished our training program with Shandong University School of Nursing.  On Friday at 5pm PST (8am in Shandong Province, China), the week-long nursing school program began with an official opening ceremony.  Dr. Samuel So, ALC Director, presented an overview of HBV and liver cancer and the Jade Ribbon Campaign.  Alison and I then presented on the outreach and education activities of our center and the fundamental basics on how to develop an outreach and education event in their own campus and communities.  We are excited to analyze our evaluation data to see the effectiveness of our education and training program.   This will really help us to reevaluate and revise our Know HBV online training tool that we have been developing over the past month.

We’ve also been getting ready for the Team HBV Conference and organizing the new and improved Team HBV Advisory Board.  Applications should be out by the end of the summer.

Now I am working on my upcoming presentation for the 3rd Annual National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media 2009 in August.  Wish me luck!

All the best,
Alena
 

As our team of Staff, Interns and Volunteers get ready to launch the new Jade Ribbon Campaign reusable bag in partnership with 99 Ranch Market, Alison and I are busy getting ready for our first HBV training session with the Shandong University School of Nursing. At 5:00pm (PST)/ 8:00am (Shandong Province, China), Shandong University will begin its week long hepatitis B outreach and education training session. After the opening ceremony, Dr. Samuel So, Director of the Asian Liver Center will present an overview of the global burden of hepatitis B and liver cancer. Alison and I will then present on the basics of conducting community outreach with examples of outreach and education at the ALC.

Wish us luck!

All the best,

Alena

Hello!

We had a great meeting today at the Asian Liver Center with the Team HBV Chapter Advisors.  I am thrilled to see the enthusiasm and commitment to the expansion and redevelopment of Team HBV Collegiate Chapters in the US.  Just a few years ago a few passionate students began the Team HBV Collegiate Chapters, which work in support of the Jade Ribbon Campaign, and since then they have flourished and grown with such leaps and bounds that the ALC and Team HBV Advisors are developing better communication plans and manuals to keep up with its expansion. We will be setting up a new Advisory Board, introducing the new Chapter Manual, holding our first Conference, developing a new and improved Team HBV Website, and even designing a new logo! What excitement! And thanks to our team of Interns at the ALC and the enthusiasm and dedication from our Advisors and other volunteers, we hope to see all of these improvements by the end of the summer.

Ying Ying, our Team HBV ALC Intern, has been making wonderful progress on the Team HBV Conference, which will be held at Stanford University this fall.  There are lots of logistical and planning components to organizing a successful conference and I have been really impressed with how the program has been coming together.  For all of you Team HBV Chapter Presidents out there, you are in for a real treat!

We will not only have our national chapters participate at the first Team HBV Collegiate Conference, but there will also be representatives from the Team HBV chapters in China (sometimes called Sunshine Volunteers).  They will have some interesting stories and projects to share with us all.  The 14 Chinese representatives will have the opportunity to spend a week in the San Francisco Bay Area learning about hepatitis B and liver cancer from Dr. Samuel So and other liver cancer experts, visiting screening and vaccination sites that are part of the SF Hep B Free Campaign in the city, meeting and hearing from our team of wonderful Stanford undergraduate academic year interns, and even having the opportunity to explore San Francisco sights and the Stanford University campus.

Keep up the great work, Team HBV!

All the best,

Alena

Hello fellow East Villagers!

Did you know that 1 in 10 Asian and Pacific Islanders are chronically infected with hepatitis B?  It sounds like a lot and even more so when you compare that 1 in 1,000 Caucasians.  In fact, 1 out of 4 of those chronically infected will die from liver cancer caused by HBV.  And 2 out of 3 of them didn't even know they were infected.

Does this sound like something that every Asian and Pacific Islander should know?  Are you interested in improving health and saving lives?  Want to spread the word about hepatitis B and liver cancer to your schools, workplaces and communities?  Passionate about being a partner to unite against HBV?

Yes? Then join the Jade Ribbon Campaign to unite against hepatitis B and liver cancer!

There are many ways that you can make a difference in the fight against HBV.  Here are some ways that you can get involved:

- Join our group on East Villagers

- Volunteer with the Asian Liver Center (Volunteer Form)

- Share educational materials with your friends and family (Materials)

- Start a Team HBV Chapter at your school

- Donate to the JRC

And much more!

We hope that you can help us to unite against hepatitis B and liver cancer.

All the best,

Alena

Good afternoon!

A quick update here from the Asian Liver Center’s global activities and projects. 

Know HBV: Alison and I have been busy working on our new Know HBV online education and training program for nursing students.  If you know of any nursing students or nurses who would be interested in working with us on this project as we grow and expand, please let me know!

Team HBV: I am excited to see pages and pages of blogs from China related to Nancy’s EV Training in Shanghai.  If anyone participating in the PESI programs would like to form a Team HBV college chapter, which works to promote hepatitis B and liver cancer awareness within their college communities and support these Jade Ribbon Campaign, please let me know as well and we’d be happy to help you start a chapter!

Manila Hep B Free: As I mentioned in a previous blog, in May 2009, Dr. So and I visited the Philippines and met with the Metro Manila Health Department.  Dr. So gave a presentation to the hepatitis B perinatal coordinators in Metro Manila, Philippines.  The ALC will be working with the Metro Manila Health Department to develop informational resources for health care providers and pregnant women in Manila.  Tini, one of our tenured ALC Interns, and I have been working on the development of two new brochures, based on the ALC’s Know HBV and Moms-to-be Brochures, that will be Philippines’ focused in Tagalog. 

Shandong Hep B Free: We may have an opportunity to create a new province-wide HBV campaign in Shandong Province, China with the launch of a Shandong Hep B Free Campaign!  Alison and I have been working with a Visiting Scholar at Stanford from the Health Department of Shandong Province who is interested in partnering with the Asian Liver Center in the development of a HBV education and awareness campaign for pregnant women and health care providers in Shandong.  More updates to come shortly!

All the best,
Alena
 

Hello!

Another one of my exciting responsibilities as the Global Health Coordinator is working with the Team HBV Collegiate Chapters in the US and China.

Team HBV is the international coalition of student organizations and volunteers working with the Asian Liver Center to spread awareness about the Jade Ribbon Campaign and hepatitis B and liver cancer to their schools and communities.

Colligate chapters actively engage their campus and local communities in education and outreach activities, awareness events, and promotion of the Jade Ribbon Campaign. 

Collegiate Team HBV has active chapters in the United States at Cornell University, Duke University, the University of California Berkeley, the University of California Davis, Harvard College, Wesleyan University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Illinois Champagne.  We are going to be starting five new Team HBV Chapters at Princeton University, Rice University, University of California Los Angeles, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.

There are many Team HBV Chapters in China, also known as the Sunshine Volunteers, including the chapters at Jiaotong University in China, Central University for Nationalities, and Tsinghua University. 

We have also been working to promote the utilization of East Villagers by all Team HBV Chapter members, which will increase Team HBV’s presence in the online community.

Ying Ying, one of our summer interns, has been working on developing a new Team HBV organizational structure, advisory board and online sharing resource, as well as on the first annual Team HBV Collegiate Conference, which will be held at Stanford University this fall.  We are excited to have all of the chapters come together for the first time to share their best strategies and experiences with each other. 

Students play a vital role in educating and promoting the correct information about hepatitis B prevention and control and working to reduce hepatitis B discrimination either in the school settings and local communities.  Students can be empowered to become active leaders in the prevention and eradication of hepatitis B for themselves and future generations.  Learning the correct information about hepatitis B transmission and passing this information on to others will help to reduce the misunderstandings and subsequent discrimination.

More exciting updating on Team HBV and the Team HBV Conference to come!  If you are interested in starting a chapter at your own school, please let me know!

All the best,
Alena

Hello all,

It has already been a busy summer at the Asian Liver Center.  We are thrilled to have our new Summer Interns joining us in the fight against hepatitis B and liver cancer and they are working on many exciting projects!

Over the past year as the Global Health Coordinator at the Asian Liver Center, I have been actively working on our new global initiative, the Asia and Pacific Alliance to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis (APAVH), which is a sustainable global coalition to eliminate the transmission of viral hepatitis, and reduce the complications of chronic viral hepatitis through advocacy, education, vaccination and treatment, and by sharing best practices and development of regional and country-specific goals, and to promote the implementation of WHO regional recommendations.  APAVH was spearheaded by the Asian Liver Center, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

APAVH seeks to create a new sustainable regional coalition to prevent new infections and reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with chronic hepatitis B through education, advocacy, vaccination, and treatment.  This regional coalition will be a multi-disciplinary alliance of government agencies, public health practitioners, foundations, policymakers, academia, scientists, patient and advocacy groups, legal professionals, corporations, and the pharmaceutical industry.  By focusing on the 41 countries in the Western Pacific and South- East Asia regions that account for 76% of the global burden of chronic HBV infection, APAVH will spearhead the development and advocate for the adoption of comprehensive policies that will ultimately lead to the global elimination of chronic hepatitis B infection.  APAVH will serve as a model for replication and expansion to form a comprehensive global initiative.

Global health leaders convened in San Francisco on Sunday, November 2, 2008 for the Inaugural APAVH Partners' Meeting, which officially launched this new global initiative.   Following the meeting, the ZeShan Foundation announced its Commitment to Action at the Clinton Global Initiative Meeting in Hong Kong on December 2, 2008.

During our recent visit to Manila, Philippines, Dr. So and I met with the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office, including Regional Director, Dr. Shin Young-soo.  Dr. So gave a presentation to the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office on the global burden of chronic hepatitis B infection and the formation of the Asia and Pacific Alliance to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis (APAVH).  Amy Zhen, Vice Dean and Associate Professor at the Shandong University School of Nursing, and Kathy Fristch, Regional Advisor in Nursing at Western Pacific Regional Office of the World Health Organization, were in the audience.  Ms. Zhen and Ms. Fristch expressed how nursing education in China neglects HBV training, but reflected on how important this tailored training is for advancing patient care, including timely HBV birthdose, three shot completion rates, and perinatal education, among others, and promoting their own health, including blood and injection safety and occupational health risks.

Alison Chang, an MPH student at UCLA and one of our summer interns, and I have been working on a new and exciting online hepatitis B education and training tool in partnership with the Shandong University School of Nursing.  The development of an online training tool specifically designed for nursing students stems from the need for comprehensive instruction regarding hepatitis B in the current nursing school curriculum offered in both the United States and in China.  We hope to eventually expand this online toolkit to be available for different schools and organizations around the world.

During our visit to Manila, Dr. So also gave a presentation to the hepatitis B perinatal coordinators in Metro Manila, Philippines.  The ALC will be working with the Metro Manila Health Department to develop informational resources for health care providers and pregnant women in Manila. 

Dr. So and I also met with Senator Cayetano in May 2009.  The ALC commends Senator Cayetano for her unwavering effort in the fight against hepatitis B and liver cancer.  In 2007 Republic of the Philippines Senator Pia Cayetano introduced Senate Bill 1060 (National Liver Cancer and Hepatitis-B Awareness Month), which designates the month of February of every year as “National Liver Cancer and Hepatitis-B Awareness Month” in order to draw and raise public attention and awareness about liver cancer and Hepatitis-B and the urgency to prevent and control the disease. In 2008, Senator Cayetano introduced Senate Bill 1654 (Mandatory Hepatitis-B Immunization), which is an act requiring mandatory basic immunization services against hepatitis B for infants, amending for the purpose of Presidential Decree No. 996. Senator Cayetano also introduced Senate Bill 2012, the "Mandatory Hepa-B Immunization Act," which expands the national immunization program by making basic immunization services against hepatitis B mandatory for infants within 24 hours from childbirth. The measure has passed the Senate but is still waiting for the House's final version.

More exciting updates on APAVH and our global project to come soon!

All the best,
Alena