Coalition against Hepatitis in People of African Origin (CHIPO)
NYC Chapter – Quarterly Meeting
Wednesday, October 19th (3 – 4:30 PM)
hepfree.nyc/CHIPO-NYC / chipo.org
Meeting Highlights
Partners’ announcement and updates
- CHIPO-NYC Updates:
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- HepFreeNYC CHIPO-NYC page can now be translated in French – view here
- Sign-on/Petition to designate September 9th as National African Immigrant & Refugee HIV & Hepatitis Awareness Day (NAIRHHA) – Sign on to petition as an individual here. Sign on representing an organization here.
- NAIRRHA Day Twitter Chat 2022: This year, Hep Free NYC/CHIPO-NYC Committee’s participation organized by CHIPO National reached 5000 impressions.
- NYC Viral Hepatitis Elimination Plan: plan to eliminate viral hepatitis as a major public health threat in NYC by 2030
- If your site can benefit from the NYC DOHMH Check Hep B Program, please contact the Health Department Hep B program manager Umaima Khatun at ukhatun@health.nyc.gov and advocacy Lead, Meg Chappell at megchappell@empireliverfoundation.org
- NYC Health Department viral hepatitis program “Telephone Patient Navigation Increases Follow-Up Hepatitis B Care in the Postpartum Period for Immigrants Living in New York City” is now posted in the journal of immigrant and minority health here
- Partner’s Updates:
- Montefiore Starfish Program is working on a publication article to be released on vaccine in the west African community including challenges and best practices.
- Hepatitis B Foundation concluded a workshop in March with new storytellers since the first group of storytellers in 2019. There are 5 new storytellers from Mali, Senegal, and Burkina Faso. View Adamas story here. Also view FK story here.
- Fill out CHIPO National membership survey, after completion, organizations will be listed on CHIPO national website highlighting African immigrant communities work.
- HEPLISAV-B 2 dose vaccine location finder is now available here
Presentations
Hepatitis B Adult Vaccination Update
Natalie Taylor, Associate Director of Public Health, Dynavax Technologies, ntaylor@dynavax.com
- CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all adults 19-59 years of age receive the Hep B vaccine.
- The age-based strategy of 19-59 years of age helps to identify patients at every clinical visit to receive Hep B vaccination. This is an opportunity to implement into electronic records systems an alert that will flag patients who are eligible for the Hep B vaccine.
- HEPLISAV-B was approved in 2017 by the FDA then recommended by ACIP in 2018. This is a two-dose series – administered over four weeks.
- Note that: HEPLISAV-B should not be administered to pregnant individuals.
- You can sign up to get text reminders for your first or second dose.
Myths and Misconceptions about Hepatitis B among African Immigrants in the United States
Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi, MD, PhD, Director Hunter College Center for Cancer Health Disparities Research (CCHDR), Professor of Biological Sciences, Hunter College of The City University of New York, ogunwobi@genectr.hunter.cuny.edu
- Non-Hispanic Blacks are the highest risk of Hep B with most of them residing in New York, Texas, or Maryland.
- New York City has about two million immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa with 1.2% prevalence of Hep B infection in 2018.
- It’s been reported that 9-11% of them are living with Hep B and as many as 70% or more have been exposed.
- Researchers at CCHDR have focused on understanding Hep B screening and vaccination profiles among first-generation African immigrants.
- CCHDR reported that as many as two-thirds of first-generation African immigrants have not been recommended screening and vaccination by their doctors.
- Their knowledge of modes of transportation is also relatively low compared to their counterparts in the majority population.
- Up to 66.67% of first-generation African immigrants do not receive screenings and vaccinations, because their providers have not recommended them. Additionally, they are less knowledgeable about modes of Hep B transmission.
- FALSE common misconceptions, include:
- There is no treatment for chronic Hep B,
- Hep B is hereditary or genetic when it is passed from parent to child,
- Hep B is contracted through kissing, shaking hands, sharing meals, etc.
- It’s not safe to breastfeed if you have a Hep B,
- Hep B is a fatal disease,
- If an individual is vaccinated, they can still get infected with Hep B,
- If someone has Hep B, they can’t get married or have children,
- Hep B can be transmitted through mosquito bites,
- To address Hep B stigma, interventions must include educating both medical professionals, and local policy makers
- Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) health educators provide Hep B education sessions with Hep B testing and have found that community members are receptive when they feel empowered.
In attendance:
- Agatha Adigwe, Multicultural Aids Coalition, aadigwe@mac-boston.org
- Ayele Kessouagni, CUNY Intern/Consultant, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, akessouagni@health.nyc.gov
- Bright Ansah, Hep B Foundation, bansah90@gmail.com
- Bwambale Arafat, Public Health Scientist, Viral Hepatitis Community Partner, bwambalearafat@yahoo.com
- Farma Pene, Community Projects Coordinator, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, fpene@health.nyc.gov
- Fatima Omarufilo, Patient Navigator, Montefiore Medical Center, alabaran@montefiore.org
- Ganiat Sarumi Disu, RN, Viral Hepatitis Community Partner, gsarumi@gmail.com
- Ibrahima Sankare, Testing Assistant and Outreach, African Services Committee, ibrahimas@africanservices.org
- Jiehui (Joy) Zhu, Patient Navigator, Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, jizhu@cbwchc.org
- Justin Chen, Hep B Program Associate, Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, jchen@cbwchc.org
- Nadine Kela-Murphy, Clinical Practice Facilitation Program Manager, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, nkelamurphy@health.nyc.gov
- Natalie Taylor, Associate Director Public Health, Dynavax Technologies, ntaylor@dynavax.com
- Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi, Director, Hunter College Center for Cancer Health Disparities Research (CCHDR) | Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, CUNY – Hunter College, ogunwobi@genectr.hunter.cuny.edu
- Rokhaya Gueye, Testing Coordinator, African Services Committee, rokhayagueye31@gmail.com
- Sarah Ahmed, Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, sahmed10@health.nyc.gov
- Shaibu Issa, Patients advocate, Organization for medical outreach to communities, shaibuissa60@gmail.com
- Toyin Omolola, CEO, DSI International Inc., dsiinternational14@gmail.com
- Umaima Khatun, Program Manager, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, ukhatun@health.nyc.gov
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Last Updated on December 13, 2022 by HepFree NYC
