Approach to Preventing and Controlling Hepatitis B and C Isn't Working

[Guest guest]

Approach to Preventing and Controlling Hepatitis B and C Isn't Working

Finally, a government report that you'll stand behind and say something like, "I could've told them that!" The Institute of Medicine (a powerhouse of American medical information and advice) released a report earlier this month about what we as a nation need to start doing to get better control of hepatitis B and C infections. This is good reading, but I'm guessing this will already be common knowledge to most heppers. What's news about this, is that now we know the government knows, too. Maybe now some real progress can be made.

Among the many interesting tidbits from the report: chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C are more common than HIV/AIDS in the U.S.; even though we've made great strides in reducing hepatitis B and hepatitis C, these diseases are still important public health problems; there is a lack of knowledge and awareness about chronic viral hepatitis among health care providers; the general public still doesn't have a good awareness and understanding of chronic hepatitis B and C; the people who are most at-risk for developing chronic hepatitis B or C still don't realize they're most at-risk; and our nation's current approach to preventing and control hepatitis B and C isn't working.

Basically the report recommends better surveillance, more effective programs to increase knowledge and awareness, start vaccinating all school children for hepatitis B--and to do all of this within a comprehensive coordinated approach among federal, state and local health services.

This will be worth reading for yourself. You can access the full, 176-page report online free of charge. However, if you're pressed for time, I recommend the report brief. It's a summary that's only four pages.

http://hepatitis.about.com/b/2010/01/13/our-approach-to-preventing-and-controlling-hepatitis-b-and-c-isnt-working.htm