San Mateo Hep B Free was founded by San Mateo County Medical Association
Visit www.smcma.org for details about SMCMA
MISSION / GOALS
- To create increased public and healthcare provider awareness about the importance of testing & vaccinating at risk populations for hepatitis B
- To promote and secure ready availability for routine hepatitis B testing and vaccination within the primary care medical community
- To ensure access to treatment for chronically infected individuals
BACKGROUND
● Chronic hepatitis B is often asymptomatic. A simple blood test is necessary to detect the disease
● Hepatitis B can be passed from infected mother to infant at birth through unprotected sex and unsafe injections
● An estimated 1 in 12 of APIs have chronic hepatitis B infection, contracted at birth or early childhood (consistent with the CDC)
● Prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection and liver cancer presents the greatest health disparity between Asian Americans and Caucasian Americans (10% versus less than 1%)
● API residents comprise 20% of San Mateo’s population
● Hepatitis B is a vaccine preventable disease
● Once contracted, there is no cure for hepatitis B, but there are treatments to manage the disease and prevent liver cancer
● Without proper care, 1 in 4 API living with chronic hepatitis B will die from liver
cancer or liver failure
● Chronic hepatitis B is responsible for 80% of all liver cancers worldwide
● San Francisco has established the goal of eradication of Hepatitis B through a program of increasing awareness, promotion of testing and vaccination, and providing trained physicians to care for patients with chronic hepatitis B. San Mateo County
wishes to develop a similar program for at risk patient populations
