Hep Free Hawaii

On Saturday, August 31, International Overdose Awareness Day is observed to spread the message about the tragedy of drug overdose death, and that drug overdose is in fact, PREVENTABLE. 💪🏻

A number of our partners not only provide hepatitis C testing, but also provide clean syringes, AND nalaxone!

Thanks to our newest partner, Voices for Vaccine, we are able to learn more about people impacted by 🤩 This week, Jackie Chen from New Jersey, shares his story about how he found out about his diagnosis! 💪🏻

Jacki Chen, PhD is a hepatitis B patient and patient advocate, a molecular bioscientist, and a senior educator for medical school and graduate school. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey with his wife and a 12-year-old son. He can be reached through his nonprofit organization “Taiwan Hepatitis Information & Care Association” at [email protected].

Read Jackie’s full story on voicesforvaccine’s blog! ☺️

We are excited to welcome to our newest partner agency, Voices for Vaccines! 🤩👏🏻

is a family-led organization that serves as a catalyst to spark positive peer-to-peer conversations about vaccines and the diseases they prevent by supporting communities, building networks, and developing fact-based content that enables parents to make healthy, informed decisions about vaccination for their children and their communities 💪🏻☺️

Check out the hepatitis B stories in their blog!

Have you read Bright Ansah’s story about finding out that he was infected with ? Read the full story on voicesforvaccines.org to learn about how impacted his life, and how important getting vaccinated is 💪🏻🤩

👀SPOTTED👀 Our awesome coalition members, Anika (DOH) and Hiromi (Waikiki Health) are currently in Washington, DC for the National Ryan White Conference 💪🏻🤩 They’ve attended sessions and posters about co-infection data on and ☺️

You asked for it: Hep C Cure Patient Checklist now available 🎉

Download from: https://www.hepfreehawaii.org/news/hep-c-patient-checklist

We heard from our community leaders...and now we wanna hear from YOU! Take this short survey by Aug 20, so you can share feedback on the past year and ideas for the current one. https://forms.office.com/g/YBuTHL9rJA

Half the seats are filled! Register for the Hawaiʻi Liver Summit to save your spot in November.

Go to: https://www.hepfreehawaii.org/news/hawaii-liver-summit-2024

that you can receive rapid C testing through ‘s Syringe Exchange Program van? 🤩 Visit their hepatitis care coordinator, Aaron, while he’s on outreach to check your status! 💪🏻

Be sure to register for our Hawaii Liver Summit, a CME/CE event on Saturday, November 23 at the University of Hawaii Manoa John A Burns School of Medicine! 🤩💪🏻

There’s a ton of interesting topics planned for this summit! Topics include: viral hepatitis B and C, fatty liver, liver cancer, harm reduction, patient perspectives, and updates from the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease Meeting 2024! ☺️ So what are you waiting for!? ‼️REGISTER TODAY ‼️

On July 30, was lit in (jade) green 💚 for World Hepatitis Day! While World Hepatitis Day is actually on July 28, Hep Free Hawaii held their annual elimination meeting to convene our partners to discuss our successes and opportunities for growth in our elimination efforts! ☺️🤩💪🏻

Mahalo to our city and state for recognizing this important day!

Thank you SO much to those who attended our Annual World Hepatitis Day meeting! 🥰 We had a great time presenting on our current successes around elimination, networking with a ton of hepatitis champions, and collaborating/discussing about opportunities to further our elimination efforts! 🤩🤩🤩

The State of Hawaii and Hep Free Hawaii are not waiting to get rid of !

Join our efforts by visiting our website and joining a workgroup! 💪🏻

Last chance for early birds! Register for Hawaiʻi Liver Summit by July 31 to get half price rates. See you in November!

https://www.hepfreehawaii.org/news/hawaii-liver-summit-2024

Sunday, July 28 is ✨WORLD HEPATITIS DAY✨, a day where we help to raise global awareness of 🤩 The time is now.... it’s time for action! 💪🏻

that the day is commemorated on July 29 to celebrate the birth of Dr. Baruch Blumberg? 😮 Dr. Blumberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1976 for his discovery of virus back in 1967, and for his contribution to inventing a diagnostic test and corresponding vaccine ☺️💪🏻

✨The Coaliation for Gobal Hepatitis Elimination is hosting an Elimination in Action photo contest for World Hepatitis Day ✨ Cash prizes will be offered for winners‼️

Enter the photo contest by visiting www.globalhep.org and submitting a photo by August 1! 🤩 Let’s see you, Hep-champions, in ACTION! 💪🏻

Half the price! Early bird registration ends July 31, so save your seat today. We hope you can join us for the return of our annual Hawaiʻi Liver Summit in November!

Register at: https://www.hepfreehawaii.org/news/hawaii-liver-summit-2024

has awarded our very own partner, Dr Chulapong Chanta, as the 2024 Elimination Champion for his dedication in increasing awareness and improving access for B and C in Thailand! ✨💪🏻🎖️

Dr. Chanta serves as a pediatrician and Assistant Professor at Chiang Rai Hospital in . He has dedicated his career towards fighting chronic hepatitis B since his own diagnosis in 1990. Since then, he has become a leading advocate for hepatitis B and C awareness and care. In Chiang Rai, Dr. Chanta developed a hepatitis elimination strategy aligned with the World Health Organization and Thailand’s national policies! 🤩🤩🤩

Early Birds! Register for the Hawaiʻi Liver Summit by July 31 for lower rates. You can learn from local and national experts on viral hepatitis and other liver issues. Join us in Honolulu in November :)

https://www.hepfreehawaii.org/news/hawaii-liver-summit-2024

‼️Viral is now the second deadliest communicable disease and one of the communicable diseases for which deaths are increasing‼️ The WHO recently published the Global Hepatitis Report, which highlights stark new data about the growing global burden of hepatitis. With the 2030 elimination goal fast approaching, there is no time to waste! 💪🏻

On Tuesday, July 23, join our expert speakers as they explore how we can act now to turn the tide for and achieve the 2030 elimination goals!

Check out this HIV Prevention Needs Assessment survey! If you are NOT living with HIV and living in Hawaii, consider taking this survey to help strengthen and tailor HIV prevention services in the state!

Responses will be collected until the end of July! Visit our story for the survey, or type: http://tiny.cc/HawaiiHIVNA to access!

‼️READ ME‼️

is hiring for a Syringe Exchange Program Outreach Worker to help provide HIV/AIDS, STD, and viral hepatitis prevention education, and counseling and testing, exchange services at mobile van sites, and more! 🤩🤩🤩

As you folks know hepatitis C can be spread through sharing needles, so if you are interested in helping to prevent spread across our community, apply through the “Employment” page on HHHRC’s website! 💪🏻☺️

our very own co-director, Thaddeus Pham, will be presenting for 😮🤩 Register to listen to him talk about turning data into actionable changes on Tues, July 16 T 9AM (HST)/ 3PM (EST) 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

Spotted! Our Co-Directors, Heather and Thaddeus, joined Governor Green for the signing of new health bills :)

Governor Josh Green signed a significant piece of legislation into law, marking an important week for Hawaiʻi’s health care relating to medical care for minors.

Act 91 closes a critical gap in minor access to medical services related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. For decades, Hawaiʻi law has permitted minors 14-17 to independently consent to medical care for the treatment of STIs but not for prevention. Act 91 will permit minors 14-17 who are at risk for exposure to STIs to consent to medical care for the prevention of STIs. There is now medication that can be taken by an individual at risk for HIV in order to prevent infection.

DOH encourages minors to involve a parent or guardian in seeking medical care to prevent STIs. However, often minors who could benefit from this medical care do not involve parents or guardians out of fear of disclosing their sexual behavior or sexual orientation. Act 91 will allow more teens to access medical care to help keep them safe.

Click to view the bill:
https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=3125&year=2024



From left: Hawaii State Department of Health Deputy Director for Health Resources, Deborah Kim Morikawa, Thaddeus Pham, Heather Lusk, Breanna Zoey, Governor Josh Green, Kekoa Kealoha, Trish Kajimura, Al Katz, M.D., Rep. Della Au Belatti

Register today for B Informed! a Hepatitis B Virtual Education Series. This session features Thaddeus Pham, Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator from Hep Free Hawaii who will be talking about strategies to turn raw data into compelling visuals, impactful graphics and eye-catching awareness campaigns. 🪄

🔊 Data to Action: Transforming Insights Into Action
📅 Tuesday, July 16 | ⏲️ 3 p.m. ET
🗣️ Speaker: Thaddeus Pham, Viral Hepatitis Coordinator with Hep Free Hawaii

☑️ Register today: https://ow.ly/OCip50St3oQ

We are SO happy to be back from the weekend 🤩Registration for this year’s (in person) Hawaii Liver Summit is officially open 💪🏻 Have you registered yet?!? 😮 It’s been a few years since we’ve been able to hold this event, and we miss your faces! 🥳🥳🥳

Register through HepB Task Force for early bird registration specials! This year’s summit will be held on Saturday, November 23 at the University of Hawaii at Manoa- John A Burns School of Medicine! We’ll be learning all things , and so don’t wait!

Yesterday, both of our directors, Thaddeus Pham and Heather Lusk, attended the official signing of Senate Bill 3125, “Relating to Medical Care for Minors” into law! 🤩💪🏻 Starting on 1/1/25, minors aged 14 years old and up may consent to medical care and services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), pregnancy, and family planning services. including the prevention of 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

is considered an STI, but is completely preventable by getting vaccinated! Visit our website for more information! ☺️

Today, is National HIV Testing Day, and according to the CDC, this year’s theme is, “Level up your self love: check your status.”❤️ that people living with are at greater risk for complications and death from the and ?! 😮

Know your status today and visit our website to see where you can get tested! 💪🏻

Our wonderful co-director, Thaddeus Pham, was able to travel to our awesome partner, Malama I Ke Ola on Maui to celebrate their Transcend Clinic’s 5th Anniversary! 🤩👏🏻🏳️‍⚧️ Transcend Maui is a comprehensive primary care clinic available to all and patients of Malama I Ke Ola ❤️

They provide services like: Primary and Preventative Care, Treatment and Prevention services, testing and treatment, Behavioral Health Services, Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy, and many more!!! 💪🏻

Our awesome, co-director, Thaddeus, was able to talk about AND provide an update to the 2018 Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Health Report to a future health professionals! 🤩👏🏻

Check out these awesome resources we were able to share to the Chaminade Nursing students! 💪🏻

Happy Monday 🤩☀️ We’re still reminiscing about this past Saturday’s 33rd Annual AIDS Walk, hosted by 😅 We had a ton of fun, loads of energy, and we’re able to talk story with the community about 💪🏻👏🏻

✨Swipe to the last photo to see out amazing co-director live his cheerleader dream✨