Christopher Kennedy Lawford to Speak at Viral Hepatitis Symposium

Inviting all concerned citizens, health care providers, counselors, and health educators, the symposium will address current issues that affect Hep C programs and treatments. According to the C. Everett Koop Institute, more than 4.5 million people in the United States are infected with hepatitis C, and more than 200 million around the world - making it one of the greatest public health threats faced in this century.

A problem many communities face is the shortage of physicians who initiate and follow treatment for patients with hepatitis C, said Edie Kahn, Executive Director of the SLO Hep C Project. ³We hope to rekindle our county¹s educational process surrounding this disease.

Attendees will also have a chance for a personal look at living with viral hepatitis and to hear what is happening at the state level with viral hepatitis policy and programs.

The spread of all the hepatitis forms ­ A, B, and C ­ is escalating, mostly due to the fact that people don¹t know they have it unless they test for it, Kahn said. So awareness and prevention is crucial, along with ensuring a better of level of care for those infected in our community.

Also on the roster for the symposium are Dr. Mauricio Bonacini, Director of the HIV-Liver program at the California Pacific Medical Center, who will present The Hep C Treatment Plan. And Rachel McLean, the Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator with the State Department of Public Health, who will present a statewide update.