CDC's 'Winnable Battles' Out of Step with Healthcare Reform and Achieving Health Equity for the American People, Says Ted Fang, Co-Founder, Hep B Free

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Dr. Thomas Frieden's declaration of "six winnable battles" as healthcare priorities, Ted Fang, Director, AsianWeek Foundation and Co-Founder, Hep B Free movement, released the following statement:

"CDC's new prioritization of 'six winnable battles' once again demonstrates their poor track record towards achieving health equity for all Americans.

By focusing on six specific diseases which mostly do not have medical solutions, the CDC has ignored many deadly diseases that can be completely and easily prevented, such as liver cancer.  

Ending liver cancer is the most winnable battle in American healthcare today. Up to 80% of all liver cancers globally are caused by hepatitis B (HBV), while hepatitis C (HCV) is the greatest cause of liver cancer in the U.S.  There is a vaccine that prevents hepatitis B infection and an actual cure for the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis B and liver cancer are the greatest health disparity for Asian/Pacific Islander Americans, yet CDC has ignored their own data and in the past refused to even list hepatitis B as a leading American health disparity.

U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has highlighted the Hep B Free model and President Barack Obama has singled out the priority of ending hepatitis B disease for Asian Pacific Americans. In addition, CDC has previously recognized hepatitis B interventions of the Hep B Free movement as 'one of the finest examples of community mobilization' in public health today.

Yet Dr. Frieden misses the boat and ignores up to 5 million Americans with chronic viral hepatitis. The health and well-being of the American people require that the CDC immediately recognize liver cancer and hepatitis B disease as the MOST WINNABLE BATTLE IN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE today."

The AsianWeek Foundation (www.asianweek.com) is a non-profit dedicated to promoting and developing the identity and diversity of the Asian Pacific American community.

The Hep B Free (www.sfhepbfree.org) movement started in San Francisco and is expanding to counties across America. It is a full-spectrum healthcare intervention program to end hepatitis B disease, and brings together community, healthcare, the private sector and government.

SOURCE The AsianWeek Foundation