World Hepatitis Day - July 28

Hello everyone.  July 28, 2011 is the first annual "World Hepatitis Day", backed by the WHO (World Health Organization).  On July 27, 2011 (tomorrow), the Allman Bros. and Natalie Cole will be doing a concert in New York, to raise awareness about Hep C.  You can paste these links into your browser for more information.  Might also be helpful to show loved ones, to help them better understand your situation.

http://www.tuneintohepc.com/

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/world_hepatitis_day/en/

[mykids247]

I think that is just wonderful that they are doing this, although I wish people could see that it isnt just the rock stars and people in the "fast lane" that get this horrible thing. Its just normal people for what ever reason, a shot by a careless dr. blood transfusion before testing,people still look at you like a leper. I dont know HOW I got it dr. thinks maybe from Rhogam when I had my children. I wasnt out shooting drugs. Makes me sad. Like I said before if I told someone I had (god forbid) breast cancer they would be "oh no thats horrible" but someone finds out you have hep c and its Ohhhhhhhh. Really? Wish the stigma could change.

[beeblessed]

I agree.  Until I got this, I never thought twice about the stigma, because nobody I knew ever mentioned they had it.  The only thing I knew about Hepatitis was that it could shorten your life span and could lead to a liver transplant, if things progressed.  At least these Celebrities are stepping up.  Hopefully, others will be inspired by their example, and the stigma will change.

[cctex]

Amen!

[nygirl7]

Pretty sure the event has been going on for a long time I remember Marcia's husband was asked to record on the album for it a few years ago so it's not the first one according to what I believe it is the fourth one the first being in 2008.

[crossroadsec]

I can't wait to see it! More awareness is what got us to this stage of developing new therapies. Yay!

[Mary4now]

Yeah Greg Allman, I've been hearing more Allman Bros. stuff on the radio, maybe cuz I'm tuned in or maybe cuz of the show..... he is definitely an attraction along with Natalie Cole, its a good thing.

[curiouslady1]

“Tune In To Hep C” will air live in its entirety on Wednesday, July 27th at 8:00 pm ET, the eve of World Hepatitis Day. The concert will also be rebroadcast on Friday, July 29th at 6:00 pm ET and Sunday, July 31st at 12:00 pm ET.

This is on Sirious radio.

[curiouslady1]

Sorry.  This is going to be re-broadcast on siriusxm satellite radio.  I have satellite but no clue as to how to get this channel.  I will call them tomorrow.  

[flcyclist]

I hope the tv and print media gives some attention to "World Hepatitis Day" considering the number of people it affects, many silently.  I'll be looking today at the news and hope it receives some recognition.  

[medicmommy]

Wear a green ribbon (or green anything) today! Green is Hep C's "awareness color" (shouldn't it be yellow for jaundice?!? :p ) Did anyone see the Seattle-to-Portland (STP) bike race a few weeks ago? The green wristbands were partially my doing!

[Mary4now]

thanks medicmommy, the more awareness the better... the more education the better.  

[Trish77]

Green is the colour for organ donation and transplants, from what I understand.  One of the fellows in my HCV Support group had a liver transplant and now is very active in organ donation activities and wears a green ribbon for that.  I believe red-yellow is the HCV colours.  I have a ribbon with a Canada flag pin in the crossover.  

http://www.personalizedcause.com/shop/collections/classic/detail/c_redyellow.html

http://www.zazzle.com/hepatitis_c_awareness_ribbon_pin_button-145869074351093399

[beeblessed]

Flcyclist -- I agree and hope it gets more recognition too.  A huge portion of the population has Hepatitis without knowing how or when they got it, so why should we be so tight lipped about it?

Nygirl7 -- You are correct.  What I meant to say was, this is the first year supported by the WHO.

Thanks everyone!  Thanks for the links Medicmommy!

[Bill1028]

It was an unbelievable show, first ABB played for a couple hours and then Natalie Cole came out and sung her heart out.  Evidently interferon doesn't hurt you voice.  In the second set Crosby and Nash came out, then Phil Lesh came out and they did some Dead songs.  Then Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top came out and jammed with everyone.  I wish I could find a You Tube with Natalie singing the most powerful version of Whipping Post that I ever heard.  What a night!



Set 1
Don't Want You No More>
It's Not My Cross To Bear
Walk on Guilded Splinters
One Way Out
Into the Mystic
Statesboro Blues
Blind Willie McTell
Black Hearted Woman>
Other One Jam
A Change Is Gonna Come ( Natalie Cole vocals Ron Halloway sax Danny Louis keyboard)
The Weight(Natalie Cole vocals Ron Holloway sax)
In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed (Bill Evans sax)

Set 2
Teach Your Children (David Crosby & Graham Nash Derek Trucks guitar)
Guinnevere (David Crosby & Graham Nash)
Find The Cost Of Freedom (David Crosby & Graham Nash)
Cowboy Movie (ABB David Crosby & Graham Nash Phil Lesh)
Almost Cut My Hair (ABB David Crosby Graham Nash Phil Lesh Danny Louis keyboard)
Shakedown Street (Phil Lesh Danny Louis keyboard)
Sugaree (Phil Lesh Danny Louis Keboard)
Franklins Tower (Phil Lesh Danny Louis keboard)
Whipping Post (Natalie Cole vocals)

Encore
Midnight Rider (With All Guests)Devon Allman
May The Circle Be Unbroken (With All Guests) Devon Allman Billy Gibbons



Some you tubes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBVqWKA3TJk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9yO-tGZIw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xIepSvSAhM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igO8Ul-x9Bw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0zwXhDrdqc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Z9CdVquxM

[Trish77]

Bill......WOW.  Thanks for posting and letting us all know.  That's so awesome that you got to be there.  I had no idea all the others were going to play with Gregg, did you know that ahead of time???  Do you think this will be an annual event?  Thanks for posting the youtubes for everyone, will make my way through them.  What specifically was mentioned about HCV, Bill?  Thanks again!!!

Trish

[HectorSF]

Presidential Proclamation--World Hepatitis Day
WORLD HEPATITIS DAY, 2011

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Across our Nation, millions of Americans are living with viral hepatitis.  As many as three-fourths of Americans living with the disease are unaware of their status and are not receiving care and treatment for their condition.  Raising awareness about hepatitis is crucial to effectively fight stigmas, stem the tide of new infections, and ensure treatment reaches those who need it.  On World Hepatitis Day, we join with people across our country and around the globe in promoting strategies that will help save lives and prevent the spread of viral hepatitis.

Viral hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, and can cause a lifetime of health issues for people who contract it.  Hepatitis B and C viruses are the cause of a growing number of new liver cancer cases and liver transplants.  In the United States, hepatitis is a leading infectious cause of death, claiming the lives of thousands of Americans each year.  While we have come far, work still needs to be done to prevent and treat this disease.

Viral hepatitis touches Americans of all backgrounds, but certain groups are at greater risk than others.  Past recipients of donated blood, infants born to mothers infected with viral hepatitis, and persons with sexually transmitted diseases or behaviors such as injection-drug use have risks for viral hepatitis.  Baby boomers and African Americans have higher rates than others of contracting hepatitis C.  Half of all Americans living with hepatitis B today are of Asian American and Pacific Islander descent, and one-third of people living with HIV also have either hepatitis B or hepatitis C.  Worldwide, one in twelve people is living with viral hepatitis.

We must make sure that this "silent epidemic" does not go unnoticed by health professionals or by communities across our country.  Under the Affordable Care Act, services including hepatitis immunizations for adults and hepatitis screenings for pregnant women are fully covered by all new insurance plans.  My Administration has also released a comprehensive Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis.  The plan brings together expertise and tools across government to coordinate our fight against this deadly disease.  Our goal is to reduce the number of new infections, increase status awareness among people with hepatitis, and eliminate the transmission of hepatitis B from mothers to their children.

The first step toward achieving these goals is raising public awareness of this life-threatening disease.  We must work to reduce the stigma surrounding hepatitis, and to ensure that testing, information, counseling, and treatment are available to all who need it.  The hard work and dedication of health-care professionals, researchers, and advocates will help bring us closer to this goal.  On this day, we renew our support for those living with hepatitis, and for their families, friends, and communities who are working to create a brighter, healthier future.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 28, 2011, as World Hepatitis Day.  I encourage citizens, Government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and communities across the Nation to join in activities that will increase awareness about hepatitis and what we can do to prevent it.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White House Commemorates World Hepatitis Day 2011

Ronald Valdiserri, M.D., M.P.H. is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Today, I was honored to participate in a special White House event to commemorate the first official World Hepatitis Day.  This event was one of many held across the United States and around the world for communities to join together and focus attention on the global health threat of viral hepatitis and promote actions to confront it.

Worldwide, one in twelve persons are estimated to be living with viral hepatitis and about one million people around the world die every year because of viral hepatitis.  Many people infected with viral hepatitis are unaware of their status, and as a result, may unknowingly transmit the infection to others.  Without knowing their status, these patients also face the possibility of developing otherwise preventable debilitating or fatal liver disease.  Last year, in recognition of this “silent epidemic,” the World Health Assembly resolved that July 28 should be designated as World Hepatitis Day, providing an opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of viral hepatitis and recognize it as a major global health problem.  The theme for this first official World Hepatitis Dayis “This is hepatitis... Know it.  Confront it.  Hepatitis affects everyone, everywhere.”

In the United States, an estimated 3.5-5.3 million persons are living with hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus.  Viral hepatitis impacts Americans of all backgrounds but affects some U.S. populations more than others.  Half of all hepatitis B infected persons in the U.S. are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; African-Americans are twice as likely to be infected with hepatitis C when compared with the general population.  To actively address these disparities and to accelerate our efforts to fight viral hepatitis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) developed an Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis.  The plan outlines actions to increase viral hepatitis awareness and knowledge among health care providers and communities, and steps that will improve access to quality prevention, care, and treatment services for viral hepatitis.  Improved coordination across HHS, along with the active engagement of other governmental and nongovernmental partners—including informed communities—will be crucial to our success.

Today’s World Hepatitis Day Event was hosted by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy with active support from the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.  Dr. Howard K. Koh, the Assistant Secretary for Health, emphasized that marking this day in such a special way provides an opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment to focus more attention on this pressing public health issue.  Dr. Koh was among the dignitaries who provided opening remarks at the event and read a World Hepatitis Day proclamation on behalf of President Obama.  I was pleased to then hear from several members of Congress, including Representatives Bill Cassidy, Judy Chu, Michael Honda, Hank Johnson, and Barbara Lee, who have been leaders in raising hepatitis awareness.  I moderated a panel that highlighted opportunities across the federal government to implement the HHS Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis.  This discussion was followed by a session led by health care providers and patients living with viral hepatitis who shared their individual experiences with fighting viral hepatitis.  Mr. Jeffrey Crowley, Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, provided a closing statement to the audience, which included government leaders, policy makers, community advocates, patients, and health professionals.

To learn more about World Hepatitis Day or about viral hepatitis visit the CDC’s website.  Also, read the Presidential Proclamation–World Hepatitis Day.

Hector

[beeblessed]

Thanks for posting this Hector!  I actually sent it to my family earlier today.

And yes, WOW Bill!  Great details.

And Trish -- It is an annual event and the links at the very first post may tell you who performed in previous years.

Thanks everyone for your input!

[Mary4now]

This is all great, I have to say the music venue makes me sooooo jealous I wasn't there, all my favorites of a time long gone.

[curiouslady1]

I cant get anything much from utube.  I guess I will have to remember to tune in sirious radio on Sunday.  Maybe I will just take a 3 hour drive.  

[Bill1028]

Trish, I had no idea that all of the guests were going to be there.  It was like Christmas, the gifts just kept on coming.  The gist of the awareness was to eliminate the stigma and talk about hep instead of keeping it in the closet.  I'm probably the biggest offender, because I pulled off all my treatments without my mom and some friends even knowing.  When I was diagnosed my mom was in hospital with a slim chance of recovering so I wasn't about to have worry about me.  She is still with us and used up her nine lives.  The only thing she said is that I look like I'm not getting enough sleep and thought it was weird that my curly hair went straight and thinner, and now 7 months after tx my hair is as thick and curly as it was but with less grey.  I think we are going to see a lot more of this coming from the music industry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMzuvqHilAc&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ0IjvLe-r4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DolOG0bS-RY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5vUf7K6Y7I