World Hepatitis Fund Launches

SOURCE World Hepatitis Fund

International Coalition of Hepatitis C Survivors band together to raise awareness, fund research, and find a cure

NEW YORK, June 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today in New York the World Hepatitis Fund launched a bold new initiative to harness the power of social media to educate, diagnose and treat the nearly two hundred million people worldwide who have contracted Hepatitis C. 

Hepatitis C, also known as the silent killer is the leading cause of liver cancer and the need for liver transplantation.  Transmitted via blood, it often goes undetected for years, even decades, without symptoms.  In the United States, where an estimated three million people are infected with Hepatitis C, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that every adult born from 1942 to 1965 be screened for the HCV virus in order to lead them to treatment.

The World Hepatitis Fund is the brainchild of Humberto Silva, who himself was diagnosed with the disease by a routine screening, "I didn't know I was infected, and my four children have a father because of a simple blood test," said Silva, "it is my mission to get everyone educated, tested and treated."

Silva is joined on his mission by an international coalition of Hepatitis C survivors; they currently fund the project and are working to develop international guidelines.  The Fund will be based in the United States, with offices in New York City, satellite offices in Brazil, Egypt, Pakistan, Colombia, Japan, China and England. 

For more information, and to get involved visit the World Hepatitis Fund on Facebook.