Philadelphia Department of Public Health Receives HHS Office of Minority Health Grant to Tackle Hepatitis B
In July, the  Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health   announced the recipients of the 2019 FY Hepatitis B Demonstration Grant Program. One of our partners - the Philadelphia Department of Public Health - was among the six grantees! Their project will focus on implementing comprehensive, culturally competent community-based hepatitis B education, screening, vaccination and treatment programs in disadvantaged and racial and ethnic minority communities over the course of three years.

Congratulations to all of the grantees; we are looking forward to seeing your work!
Advocating on Capitol Hill
On Tuesday, July 24th, we participated in a day of advocacy hosted on Capitol Hill! Throughout the day, we visited the offices of:
  • Representative Dwight Evans
(who represents Philadelphia!)

  • Senator Patrick Toomey

  • Representative Brian Fitzpatrick

  • Senator Bob Casey Jr.

Hosted by Hep B United and the Hepatitis B Foundation, several advocates from across Pennsylvania and the U.S. joined in asking our congressional representatives to increase funding for liver disease and liver cancer research, surveillance, and to support the LIVER Act of 2019. We also brought the discriminatory pricing of hepatitis B treatments to the attention of our members of congress and urged them to recognize the need to increase adult hepatitis B vaccination rates.
Hep B United Philadelphia Presents at the
Hep B United Summit
We attended Hep B United's annual summit in Washington D.C.! While there, we were able to feature recent initiatives in Philadelphia.

  • Oni Waritay-Richard from the African Family Health Organization (AFAHO) (pictured above) presented the findings of our screening efforts in the African immigrant population in Philadelphia. Through our partnership with HepTREC and AFAHO, screened over 150 individuals within the African immigrant community were screened for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. From this project, we found an infection rate of 8% for hepatitis B, and no individuals currently infected with hepatitis C. These rates are comparable to the national prevalence rates within this high-risk population. More screening and linkage to care is needed within high-risk populations in the Philadelphia region. This project was supported by the Prevent Cancer Foundation Community. 

  • Michaela Jackson presented research on adverse drug , which occurs when health insurance companies use discriminatory tactics (shown below) for drug pricing. Our preliminary analysis indicates that adverse drug tiering is occuring in Pennsylvania and within the Philadelphia area. Barriers to access can cause patients to forego needed treatment, stop treatment prematurely, or seek unapproved and potentially damaging treatments. 
Upcoming Events
We have two exciting events coming up in September! First is the Spit Spreads Death Health Fair in Mifflin Square Park on September 7th. The health fair is hosted by the Mutter Museum .
Spit Spreads Death Health Fair
 Saturday, September 7th
l:00 pm - 4:00 pm
7th and Ritner

The second event takes place on Saturday, September 21st at Mifflin Square Park as well. The International Day of Peace Health Fair promotes the right to health and peace. Be sure to stop by for free resources!

International Day of Peace: Peace & Wellness for All
Saturday, September 21st
2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
6th and Ritner
August is National Immunization Month
August is National Immunization Awareness Month! This year's themes are  Vaccinate Your Family  and  Trust for America's Health . The general messaging for these themes (provided below) allows for organizations to tailor messages to fit their needs:

  •  Vaccine-preventable diseases are still a threat. Vaccination is the best protection.
  •  You have the power to protect against vaccine-preventable diseases and their complications.
  • Getting vaccines at the recommended ages is the best way to protect against serious diseases.
  • Vaccines are safe and effective at preventing serious diseases.


Visit the  CDC's website   to get more information on this year's campaign, including  social media graphics . Be sure to use the hashtag  #ivax2protect  when posting on social media!
Join the Hep B United Action Center
B ecome a Hep B Advocate! Join the Hep B United Action Center to get the latest updates and news about hep B policy issues, learn about upcoming advocacy events, and be notified of opportunities to take action and show your support for our  policy initiatives . You will also be provided with information, resources, and tools to help you communicate, educate, and engage your community.
HEP B UNITED PHILADELPHIA |  hepbunitedphiladelphia.org | connect@hepbunited.org