Fwd: HEPATITIS C COMMUNITY SEEKS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

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HEPATITIS C COMMUNITY SEEKS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

From Hepatitis C Movement for Awareness

110 Glover Circle

Staunton VA 24401

540 248 7324

Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus that infects over 5.8 million

Americans,

four times the rate of the AIDS virus. It is the leading cause of

liver

transplants in the United States and infects over 200 million people

worldwide.

Based on National Institutes of Health statistics, 30 percent of

those infected

are expected to develop end stage liver disease (1.8 million) with

only 5,000

organs available annually for transplant in the United States. When

end stage

failure occurs, the patient's only hope is a liver transplant.

There is no

cure, no vaccine, and the few available treatments are lengthy,

expensive,

and debilitating. Early detection, through testing, is essential.

Government, at all levels in the United States is doing far too

little to

combat Hepatitis C. Conservative estimates place the costs of lost

productivity

and medical care arising from chronic Hepatitis C in the United

States at over

$600 Million annually. Such costs are expected to increase in the

absence of

expanded prevention and treatment efforts.

Not surprisingly, Hepatitis C strikes Military Veterans the hardest,

next are

minorities and the poor. Hepatitis C is non-discriminatory,

affecting all

races, both genders, and all socioeconomic levels.

As a candidate for the 2004 Presidential election, we are asking you

to

respond to 10 questions. Please make your answers brief and to the

point.

1. It is estimated that over 5.8 million Americans are infected with

the

Hepatitis C virus and over 30 percent develop end stage liver

disease. Most

victims do not know they are infected. If you are elected, would

you actively work

to make sure the government does more to educate the public about

Hepatitis

C? Why? How?

2. Statistics indicate that there are over four persons with

Hepatitis C for

every person with HIV/AIDS in the United States. Military Veterans

are

infected ten times the national rate. Hepatitis C is responsible for

over 50% of

Veterans Administration Health Care liver transplants that occur and

continues to

be the major reason for liver transplantation in the United States.

It is

estimated that the death rate (12 thousand annually in the US) will

triple over

the next 10 to 20 years unless something is done. Should federal

government,

as done for HIV/AIDS, declare a state of emergency for Hepatitis C?

Please

explain.

3. Lack of researching Hepatitis C as a whole disease has led to

many

misconception related to transmission methods for this virus.

Recently, ear, nose and

throat scopes and GYN scopes used during gynecological examination

on women,

were implement as exposure methods for the Hepatitis C virus. The

governments

treatment and prevention plan through the Center for Disease Control

places

Hepatitis C with in Sexually Transmitted Disease clinic under

AIDS/HIV measures

for prevention. Although HIV rates have declined under current

Center of

Disease Control actions, Hepatitis C has not. In fact, Hepatitis C

infections have

risen. Prevention methods for HIV do not always work for Hepatitis C

and

Hepatitis C is not a sexually transmitted disease.

Current Federal Acts before congress, indirectly place Hepatitis C

under HIV

strategic guidelines for treatment and prevention and management of

funding.

Many of those in the Hepatitis C community that accept this, do so

under

duress with many completely opposed to this plan.

The Hepatitis C epidemic is discovering what was. In 1988 242,000

Hepatitis C

infections were reported annually. These high figures were reported

throughout 1980's. Since 1989 and mandatory heating or washing of

blood products, the

annual number of new infections had declined more than 80 percent by

1998.

This follows more efficient testing procedures for donors with tests

that

existed, but manufacture patents and FDA delay, prevented

distribution. Universal

precaution guidelines became effective in 1996. What will you do as

President,

to insure public safety and avert new transmission methods

discovered yearly

due to Government's focus for research, treatment and prevention

centered on

lifestyle choices as the only means to educate?

4. As with many liver diseases, a standard of living that avoids

toxins such

as alcohol, plus certain prescribed or over the counter medications

and

herbal remedies, can benefit disease progression and ease economic

burden. This is

especially true with Hepatitis C and why efforts to identify

infected patients

through infected blood products is critical. On January 22, 1998,

the

Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services concurred

with the Advisory

Committee on Blood Safety and Availability and indicated that

persons who may

have acquired Hepatitis C virus infection from blood transfusion be

identified through lookback notifications, and that other people at

risk for Hepatitis

C infection also should be identified. The Secretary requested the

Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a comprehensive plan

to

address the prevention and control of Hepatitis C infection and its

onsequences. No

Patients have been identified and the program has virtually come to

a

complete halt. As President, what will you do to insure these

patients are notified

so they can stop spreading Hepatitis C and receive appropriate

health care?

5. Will you assist Representative Henry A. Waxman (D - CA) attempt

to call

for an investigation into the blood industry decision to avoid

testing the

donors for years because of cost, exposing helpless American

citizens to

bloodborne pathogens for profit?

6. Despite the very high infection rates for Military Veterans,

Hepatitis C

is not a presumed service connected disease. There were no universal

precautions in place. Military personnel were exposed to jet gun

injections, reused

lancets and needles such as small pox, and cylinder type syringes.

They were

infected by blood through vaccines, transfusions, battlefield wounds

and dental and

medical procedures while technicians did not wear gloves. Hepatitis

C

transmission has been documented in renal dialysis settings by

technicians that did

not wear gloves.

Veterans,active military personnel and dependents are denied service

connection, appropriate testing, care or therapy. The Government

Accounting Office

has sited the Veterans Administration (VA) four times since 2000,

for

mismanagement of Hepatitis C funding and the failure to test and

treat veterans. Will

you commit to Presumed Service Connection for military veterans that

have

Hepatitis C and other bloodborne pathogen diseases? Please explain.

7. Currently, the VA is closing clinics that spend too much money

on

Hepatitis C treatment. Procedures demand VA Doctors strictly adhere

to VA guidelines

for treatment of Hepatitis C. The VA is insisting doctors cannot use

higher

doses or longer duration of treatment in patients who need it. VA

Doctors are

politically punished for doing so. Stripping VA doctors of his

ability to treat

patients, has broken Federal Law. The US Supreme Court has upheld

the right

for doctors to prescribe off label treatment for patients when

needed and the

FDA approves drugs off-label all the time. This is costing many

veterans their

lives. Will you, as President, ensure the VA adheres to the laws of

our country?

8. Organ donation may be lifesaving (organs) or life enhancing (e.g.

corneas,

bones, bone marrow, heart valves, ligaments and skin). A perfect

donor can

save eight lives with the following organs: two kidneys, two lungs,

liver (which

can be sectioned into two), heart, and either pancreas or small

intestine At

least fifty other patients can benefit from the donor’s tissue

donation. Will

you establish legislation permitting Presumed Consent for organ

donation?

9. Nationally it is estimated that between 25% to 40% of inmates

incarcerated

in state prison settings are infected with hepatitis C. In 1996,

California

reported 55% of female offenders and 39% of male offenders entering

the

California Corrections system were HCV positive. A recent Texas

study showed 30% of

incoming inmates infected. The State of Washington determined that

25% of

offenders were Hepatitis C positive. They also cited liver disease

associated with

Hepatitis C to be the third leading cause of death in their state

prisons. As

President, what will you do to stop the Hepatitis C Epidemic within

our state

and federal prisons system?

10. Do you believe the federal administration should make multi-

purpose

government centers, which are located throughout the country,

available for

Hepatitis C support group meetings, as well as education and

outreach programs?

Thank you for your participation. Your response will assist us in

choosing the most likely candidate to represent the devastated

Hepatitis

C community and protect other citizens form needless infections.

With

your help, we can stop the spread of this virus.

Respectfully,

Tricia Lupole

National Coordinator

Hepatitis C Movement for Awareness

110 Glover Circle

Staunton VA 24401

540 248 7324

For a list of candidates with contact information,

click here http://hcvets.com/forum_public/hma/disc.htm

IF these presidential candidates, listed above, are your

representatives

and within your district, they must meet with you. Please make that

appointment and take a copy of these questions. Proclaim yourself

as a

member of Hepatitis C Movement for Awareness and as a

eteran/dependent

if it applies. Request answers to our Questionnaire to gain support

for their

candidacy.

If Candidates live near, please go to campaign headquarters and

request

a meeting or mail a certified copy, return receipt requested. The

more

that participate the better our chance to a response. At the very

least,

we inform them on Hepatitis C issues:)

Make appointments and take copies of our Questionnaire to all

Candidates

running for elected posts in local elections. Just alter to suit

the needs

for your districts, Here is an example of the recent race for Mayor

in Houston

TX. Candidate Questionnaire on Hepatitis C

Be sure to get their response in writing!!!! Then send a copy to

hcvets@a...

" Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens

can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever does. "

-Margaret Mead

Have a suggestion- send comments to

HMAwareness@a...

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Start making plans now!

March on Dc May 28, 2004

http://hcvets.com/forum_public/hma/disc.htm