New Funds Link More Hepatitis Patients To Medical Care

By Maui Now Staff

Photo credit: Hep Free Hawaii

The newly formed Hep Free Hawai‘i (HFH) organization is the recipient of a $45,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i.

The funds will be used to bring patients living with hepatitis B and C with medical care for treatment.

Hep Free Hawai‘i is a grassroots coalition of twenty-plus organizations that work to raise awareness about viral hepatitis in Hawai‘i. The HFH hopes to help people in Hawai‘i learn their status through access to hepatitis testing and vaccinations while connecting people living with chronic hepatitis or other liver diseases to care services.

HFH currently offers free hepatitis B and C screenings across Hawai‘i, but it did not have the capacity to support those who test positive to access medical management prior to receiving the grant.

“Hepatitis B and C are truly silent epidemics because most people don’t know that they have it. There may not be symptoms for many years, so most people are not aware of their status,” stated Heather Lusk, Hep Free Hawai‘i Co-Director. “With significant advances in the management and treatment of hepatitis B and C in the past few years, it is more important than ever that people living with these diseases are diagnosed and linked to care. If left untreated, hepatitis B/C may develop into severe liver damage and even liver cancer,” she said.

According to HFH officials, Hepatitis B and C are the most common known causes of liver cancer in Hawai’i, and Hawai‘i has the highest rate of liver cancer in the US. According to Hawai‘i State Department of Health estimates, about 50,000 people in Hawai‘i may be living with hepatitis B and C, and most of them are not in treatment or have even sought medical care.

“Hawaii is such a beautiful and unique place,” said Lusk. “With this generous grant from Kaiser, Hep Free Hawai‘i intends to make sure that all of the diverse communities in Hawai‘i living with hepatitis B or C obtain necessary and appropriate medical care.”