Hepatitis C
Join Hepatitis C Advocates UNITED!
Your voice is needed!
To join Hepatitis C Advocates UNITED!, send an email to
. In the email, please put your first name (and last name, if you
are comfortable) and your city/state.
The numbers are staggering. There are over 4 million Americans
currently infected with the hepatitis C virus. Most of them are
unaware that they have the virus.
Despite these statistics, the response from the federal government
to this epidemic has been dismal. Funding for viral hepatitis programs
has remained flat, the President has refused to recognize May as
“National Hepatitis Awareness Month,” and legislation
to mount a comprehensive national HCV education and testing campaign
has stalled.
It is time that our elected representatives hear from us directly
that we expect national leadership to fight HCV. Join Hepatitis
C Advocates UNITED!, a new grassroots coalition formed by the Hepatitis
C Appropriations Partnership (HCAP) and the National Hepatitis C
Advocacy Council (NHCAC). This coalition of individuals and organizations
around the country will work together to create grassroots campaigns
aimed at educating Congress and the Bush Administration about the
need for adequate funding and legislation to combat the HCV epidemic.
We’ll also share information and strategies about state-level
issues.
Our first three campaigns will focus on:
- Securing the highest possible increase for viral hepatitis programs
in the final Fiscal Year 2008 funding bill.
- Getting House and Senate co-sponsors for the “Hepatitis
C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act,” a bill that would
establish a comprehensive federal hepatitis C research and prevention
program.
- Contacting key officials of the Bush Administration and urging
them to provide an increase for federal viral hepatitis programs
in the President’s Fiscal Year 2009 budget.
Other issues and campaigns will be determined by members of the
coalition.
Be a part of this movement! To join Hepatitis C Advocates UNITED!,
send an email to
. In the email, put your first name (and last name, if you are comfortable)
and city/state. We will communicate through a moderated listserv
and monthly conference calls.
Hepatitis C Advocates UNITED! is a national, grassroots network
of individuals and organizations fighting for increased funding
for hepatitis programs and legislation to mount a comprehensive
federal effort to fight the disease. We design grassroots strategies
to educate our elected representatives about the need for adequate
HCV funding and policies, including action alerts, sign-on letters
legislative meetings, media activities, and other campaigns. We
also share information and strategies on state-level issues and
campaigns. We communicate through a moderated listserv and monthly
conference calls. Hepatitis C Advocates UNITED! was formed by the
Hepatitis C Appropriations Partnership (HCAP) and the National Hepatitis
C Advocacy Council (NHCAC).
