CHICAGO: The Midwest Asian Health Association (MAHA) Celebrated World Hepatitis B Awareness Day from June 12, 2023 – July 28, 2023.
It is the World Hepatitis Awareness Day. There are about 296 million people living with Hepatitis B, many of whom live in Eastern Asia, namely Taiwan, Japan, Korea and China. In the USA Asian Americans make up about 6% of the population, yet comprise almost 60% of the estimated 2.4 million people chronically infected by Hepatitis B.
Most dramatically, Hepatitis B is prevalent in foreign-born Asian/Pacific Islander women of childbearing ages, at 8.9%. Because Hepatitis B often doesn’t cause symptoms, most don’t know they are infected. Early diagnosis is the best way to prevent the development of serious complications, including liver cancer. You can find more information about Hepatitis B from the CDC’s website.
Hepatitis B is preventable through early detection and vaccination. The annual Hepatitis awareness event is an important component of MAHA’s Hepatitis B Outreach, Awareness, and Education program funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The program’s overall strategy is to eliminate Hepatitis B as a major disease for Asian Americans. In honor of World Hepatitis B Day, the Midwest Asian Health Association (MAHA) announced two upcoming events to help immunize and screen for Hepatitis B among Chicagoland residents.
For more details see Hepatitis B Immunization Event will be on Saturday July 29, from 8am-11am at 218 W. 26th St, Chicago, IL 60616 The Organizer is Midwest Asian Health Association, UIC, Chicago Dept. of Public Health Contact (312) 225-8708 Irene Ma, Health Program Coordinator, MAHA
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