July 30, 2004

JADE RIBBON CAMPAIGN PROMOTES HEPATITIS B AWARENESS

HONOLULU - It is estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 people in Hawaii have hepatitis B and don’t know it. The goal of the Hawaii Jade Ribbon Campaign is to locate these undetected cases, especially in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities, and raise awareness about hepatitis B and liver cancer as well as provide FREE hepatitis B testing.

Hawaii has a hepatitis B chronic carrier rate of approximately 1-3%, which is approximately five times greater than the U.S. Mainland. Hepatitis B is transmitted by direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. This transmission can occur by sharing items such as needles, razors, toothbrushes or nail clippers, or by having unprotected sex with someone who is infected with hepatitis B.

“Routine tests don’t detect hepatitis B,” said Chiyome Leinaala Fukino, Director Hawaii State Department of Health. “We are hopeful that the Jade Ribbon Campaign will educate doctors to specifically look for hepatitis B and educate patients, particularly those at high risk, to ask for the test.”

Governor Lingle has proclaimed August as Hepatitis B Awareness Month. Activities will include presentations at the Chinese Health Fair, the Filipino Health Fair and St. Francis Hospital Health Fair as well as informational programming on local public access television. The Jade Ribbon Campaign reinforces the Lingle-Aiona administration’s focus on preventative health efforts as well as supplying needed services and education to close gaps and lessen health disparities.

Symptoms of hepatitis B may include: weakness, headache, yellow skin, dark urine, upset stomach and pain in the right side. In some cases the person may have no symptoms. Even if a person has no symptoms, they can still pass hepatitis B to others. Most people with hepatitis B get better in a few months, but some become chronic carriers of the disease. This can lead to liver cancer or cirrhosis, which can be fatal.

Hepatitis B is preventable through vaccination. A series of three shots will provide excellent protection from hepatitis B. The shots will not help if someone is already infected with the disease.

Strategies being used in Hawaii to reduce hepatitis B include:

The TEEN VAX project continues to distribute hepatitis B vaccine to physicians statewide for children 6-18 years of age so that there is little or no out-of-pocket expense for parents. The project is currently funded through December 2004 and is scheduled to be renewed for through 2005. TEEN VAX is funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For more information on Hepatitis B in Hawaii visit the Department of Health web site a www.hawaii.gov/health or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.

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