Politics & Government
County Campaigns for Hepatitis B Prevention
The preventable disease goes undetected in two-thirds of the Asian population.
More than 600 people gathered at Dynasty Restaurant Friday night to kick off the "Hep B Free: Santa Clara County" campaign, but guest count pales in comparison to the 1.4 million people in the U.S. who live with chronic hepatitis B virus.
Nationwide, chronic hepatitis B causes up to 80 percent of all liver cancer cases, and its numbers are especially concerning in the Asian population, where about 48,000 Asian Santa Clara County residents are inflicted with the disease.
“This disease is preventable. The Asian population is the fastest growing population in Santa Clara County; now representing a third of the total population of our county. One in 12 of you is chronically infected with hepatitis B, and two-thirds of you don't know that,” said Health Officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib.
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“Santa Clara County has one of the highest liver cancer rates in the nation. We must work to raise awareness in the community, among health providers and community members,” Fenstersheib added in a statement. “As a community working together, we can end hepatitis B in Santa Clara County.”
Raising awareness of getting tested and treated was the main focus of Friday’s event, which brought out notables such as Fenstersheib, U.S. Congressman Mike Honda (D-San Jose), State Assemblymembers Paul Fong (D-Cupertino), Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), Jim Beall (D-San Jose), California Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Fiona Ma, Santa Clara County Board Supervisor Ken Yeager, and Dr. Sam So, founder of the Asian Liver Center at Stanford.
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A lesser-known woman among the speakers was hepatitis B patient Sandy Shih Andrada.
“I found out I was carrying hepatitis B after a co-worker walked up to me and said, ‘Sandy your eyes look yellow, and your skin looks yellow and I see you every day five days a week, every week of the year and you don't look right to me,’” Andrada said.
That prompted her to get tested.
“Once I found out, I found out how I could manage this disease. Dr. So taught me how to take care of myself and make sure I understood that I need to get a blood test every six months, an ultrasound every year; and I was also on medication to maintain my vitals and maintain my liver,” she said.
Hepatitis B can be transferred easily through such things as blood transfusions, shared or reused tattoo needles, or unprotected sex, but the most common occurrence is mother-to-baby during childbirth.
“People must be encouraged to get tested by their doctors for hepatitis B. People can get tested through a simple, inexpensive blood test,” So said. “The more people get tested and vaccinated, the closer we are to winning the fight against hepatitis B.”
For more information about the campaign, please visit: http://santaclaracountyhepbfree.wordpress.com/
