July 26, 2011 - On Thursday, July 28, 2011, the San Francisco Hepatitis C Task Force will recognize World Hepatitis Day by conducting an educational campaign at major BART and MUNI stations throughout San Francisco. Task Force members and other volunteers will be at four MUNI and BART stations (Castro,16th/Mission, Montgomery, and Embarcadero) from 7:00 to 9:00 am and 4:00 to 6:00 pm to increase visibility about the hepatitis C epidemic in San Francisco, distribute educational materials, and encourage city residents, commuters, and visitors to talk with their doctor about being screened for HCV.
“The San Francisco Hepatitis C Task Force is gravely concerned about the severity of the local hepatitis C epidemic and the large number of people who don’t know their status,” said Andrew Reynolds, Task Force co-chair. “We will spend this important day educating the public about the disease and encouraging hepatitis C screening and testing.”
There are an estimated 12,000 San Franciscans infected with hepatitis C, with most not aware of their status. The disease disproportionately affects African-Americans, Latinos, veterans, people involved with the criminal justice system, injection drug users, men who have sex with men, people with HIV, immigrants, and low-income people. Hepatitis C can lead to liver disease, cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death. In January of 2010, the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) released a national report highlighting the severity of the hepatitis B and C epidemics in the United States and calling on public officials to participate in efforts to prevent, control, and care for the diseases. In May of 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released an action plan to mount a comprehensive viral hepatitis prevention, testing, care and treatment effort. The Task Force has released its own report outlining a series of recommendations for the Mayor and Board of Supervisors to address the local hepatitis C epidemic. The report can be viewed at http://hepcsf.org/uploads/Recommendations_Document.pdf.
Contact: Andrew Reynolds, 415-312-3445 (cell). For more information about the Task Force, visit www.hepcsf.org.