Hepatitis
B is a major health disparity for Asian Americans. The CDC estimates
that at least half of individuals infected with hepatitis B in the U.S.
are of Asian or Pacific Islander descent (Read the report here). In December 2007, the WHO released the Western Paciic Regional Plan for Hepatitis B Control which outlines the burden of hepatitis B in Asian countries, as well as goals and strategies to eliminate the disparity.
B
Free CEED partner, the Asian American Hepatitis B Program, found that
roughly 15% of Asians screened in New York City were infected with
hepatitis B (Read the MMWR article here).
This is a huge disparity considering that less than 1% of the general
U.S. population has hepatitis B. AAHBP also found that all of those
identified as infected were foreign-born and from countries where
hepatitis B is endemic with rates as high as 16%.
However, the
prevalence and infection rates for individual Asian ethnic groups
across the U.S. can vary and limited information exists. The VietBiet Hepatitis B Advocacy Network is currently working on compiling and disseminating past and
current data on HBV infection for all Asian ethnic groups.
Source: NYU Hepatitis B FREE CEED
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