Advocacy
2010 Banner Year for Viral Hepatitis Prevention through Syringe Access
California Hepatitis Alliance (CalHEP), is very excited to report that the two bills have been introduced in the California legislature.
Senate Bill 1029 (SB 1029) authored by State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) would allow pharmacists statewide the discretion to sell up to 30 syringes to an adult without a prescription. Currently 14 counties and 4 cities participate in a pilot program that allows adults to purchase and possess ten or fewer syringes from a pharmacy. The statutes that authorized this pilot will expire the last day of this year, 2010. Senator Yee's bill will take the policy statewide, reducing cost and procedural barriers to implementation.
Assembly Bill 1858 (AB 1858) authored by Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (D-Van Nuys) would allow California Department of Public Health to authorize syringe exchange services in locations where the conditions exist for the rapid spread of viral hepatitis, HIV or other potentially deadly or disabling diseases.
CalHEP recognizes these bills build upon recent recommendations at the National and State level. CalHEP advocates that with passage of AB 1858 and SB 1029 programs in California will be able to take advantage of federal funding, and make rapid advancements in the prevention of viral hepatitis. To read more of this article click here.
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Awareness
May 19th Viral Hepatitis Awareness Day in California.
CalHEP, San Luis Obispo County AIDS Support Network, and the SLO Hepatitis C Project are working with Assemblymember Sam Blakeslee again this year to convene Viral Hepatitis Awareness Day. If resolved, the State of California would recommend increased public education to encourage adults to ask their healthcare providers whether they should be tested hepatitis B and C; If resolved, the State of California would recommend increased provider education to encourage medical professionals and others who work with at-risk adults to talk to their patients and clients about the importance of screening for hepatitis B and C;If resolved, that May 19th 2010 shall be declared to be Viral Hepatitis Awareness Day in California. CalHep encourages you to contact your Legislator and encourage them to support this resolution.
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Center for Health Improvement
1330 21st Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, California 95811
916-930-9200
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In the Spotlight
Liver Cancer Free. NVHR is working with the Chinese American Medical Society Mid-Atlantic Chapter, the Hepatitis B Foundation and AAPCHO to host this website dedicated to advocating for increased funding for the Viral Hepatitis. Please use this website to send an email to congress urging them to increase funding for Viral Hepatitis to
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National
Institutes of Health (NIH). Take Action Now!
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Access
California's Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Hepatitis B and CThis webinar was hosted by CalHEP on February 9, 2010. The webinar presentations included the three Stragegic Directions referenced in the California Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention Strategic Plan 2010-2014, and offered lessons from several Member Organizations on pioneering advocacy efforts on the local level. The aim was to make you familiar with some incremental steps that can be taken to support our national efforts, our state policy and advocacy efforts, and enhance your local work. The panel included the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, the California Department of Public Health Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator, the SF Hep C Task Force and the Asian Pacific Liver Center. Webinar Materials |
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Event
With the theme "This is hepatitis..." for World Hepatitis Day on May 19 in both 2010 and 2011, the World Hepatitis Alliance is aiming to tell the human story of viral hepatitis and continue the battle of raising awareness of hepatitis B and C around the world. The WHA hopes that the new campaign will allow patient groups to develop their own national and local programs to create unity, engage policymakers, and reinforce the scale of the problem.
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