Worldwide Event Information from aminumber12 website
In Canada patient groups as well as the Canadian Liver Foundation worked with the Public Health Agency of Canada to raise awareness of the ‘Am I Number 12?’ campaign. In Vancouver, Hep C Canada hosted a World Hepatitis Day launch event, with a special appearance by the band DayJob, who wrote a song to raise awareness for hepatitis C.
World Hepatitis Day was recognised by hundreds of different groups across the U.S. The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) and Division of Viral Hepatitis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sponsored a national poster contest in honour of World Hepatitis Day. In New York PR Newswire helped light up Times Square with a giant ‘Am I Number 12?’ logo, while sponsorship from Clear Channel and NVHR resulted in big posters being displayed in advertising space at seven airports across the country. Also in New York, the Latino Organization for Liver Awareness (LOLA) held a sponsored walk on 15 May, which started at Battery Park and ended at the steps of City Hall.
Brazil had more than 120 events planned across the country, with hepatitis awareness and testing days taking place everywhere from São Paolo to Santos, and Belo Horizonte to Brasilia. On 17 May a week-long hepatitis testing and information campaign began in Rio, while in São Paolo a presentation to local World Health Organization (WHO) Directors took place on 15 May. In Salvador volunteers manned an information stand which provided information on hepatitis at the central bus terminal and also in shopping centres, while specialists gave hepatitis-specific presentations to all health-related classes at the University. A variety of events took place in Fortaleza with support from the Municipal Health Authority, while in Brasilia hepatitis awareness materials were distributed at the main city bank.
Patient groups in Argentina distributed leaflets in hospitals and on streets across the country, with massive amounts of local and national media coverage of the ‘Am I Number 12?’ campaign. Other activities included a disease awareness campaign in Tucumán and a rock festival at Ushuaia promoting hepatitis and information on ‘Am I Number 12?’. More than 100,000 telephone calls providing information on hepatitis were made on 17 and 18 May.
Civitas Firma organised various media activities across the country, including radio interviews, unveiling the meaning of the ‘Am I Number 12?’ campaign and publication of new information on hepatic health and international issues relating to hepatitis B and C. Civitas Firma also distributed ‘Am I Number 12?’ t-shirts in Mexico City
SOS Hèpatites Portugal secured a TV advert with a number of famous people wearing ‘Am I Number 12?’ t-shirts, which was aired on 19 May. SOS Hèpatites Portugal also distributed posters and leaflets to the general public and delivered talks in prisons
Various activities were coordinated in
Belgium by Carrefour Hépatites-Aide et Contact (CHAC) and Vereniging voor Hepatitis C Patiënten (VHC). VHC sent a specially-designed ‘Am I Number 12?’ poster to all hospitals and hepatitis specialists, and both groups printed campaign materials to distribute on 19 May. The groups also secured a special issue on hepatitis in the well known newspaper De Standaard, and CHAC coordinated an appeal to parliament and hosted a press event on World Hepatitis Day.
Germany - Deutsche Leberhilfe e.V. and Deutsches Hepatitis C Forum e.V organised a wide range of activities for World Hepatitis Day, including a press conference in Frankfurt where Public Health Panel member Professor Stefan Zeuzem and members of his Institute were on site to provide free liver check-ups. The event opened with the release of hundreds of ‘Am I Number 12?’ balloons from the roof of one of the tallest buildings in Frankfurt, and leaflets promoting the event were handed out across the city. Ahead of World Hepatitis Day, Achim Kautz of Deutsche Leberhilfe e.V. also took part in a unicycle marathon race to raise awareness of ‘Am I Number 12?’
HepHelp organised various activities across
Serbia, including free testing in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis and Kragujevac. On 19 May, HepHelp hosted an exhibition and with patient associations organised a silent auction in order to collect money for their activities. All events were supported by the People’s Office of the President of Serbia and City Council of Belgrade, as well as YuMSIC, local branch of the International Association of Medical Students.
With support of the Ministry of Health and social welfare, CATIH "Hepatos" coordinated this year’s World Hepatitis Day campaign, with events taking place in Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, Rijeka, Pula, Zagreb and Osijek. Members of the Croatian Alliance of Hepatitis Patient Associations ("Prometej", "Hepatos Osijek", "Hepatos-Zagreb", "Hepatos-Dubrovnik" and"Institut") participated in ongoing discussions with the national Government regarding the 12 Asks, as well as to help shape the creation of a national strategy for fighting viral hepatitis, which they hope will be approved over the course of 2008. In addition to the activities coordinated by Hepatos, governmental institutions also ran activities, including expert meetings to review strategies of controlling hepatitis B and C among prison populations.
Activities in Morocco were coordinated by SOS Hepatites Morocco, and included a meeting of ministers, patients, and their families, media, NGOs and clinicians at the Palace Anfa Hotel, Casablanca. On 15 May they hosted a round table to discuss the 12 Asks of the World Hepatitis Alliance, and on 19 May a free screening campaign was conducted.
The Liver Foundation of Bangladesh launched its ‘Am I Number 12?’ campaign on April 14 to celebrate the Bengali New Year. As part of the campaign leading Bengali rock band ArtCell wore ‘Am I Number 12?’ t-shirts on stage while volunteers gave out t-shirts, flyers and stickers in Dhaka City. On 19 May the Foundation offered free hepatitis B vaccination to over 200 orphan children in Government children’s homes.
The Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control (CFHPC) held a Viral Hepatitis Summit Forum and World Hepatitis Day launch on Monday 19 May. CFHPC marked World Hepatitis Day by gathering hepatitis leaders, government officials, experts, WHO representatives, hepatitis patients, journalists and students at ceremonies in the Great Hall of the People and at the Great Wall of China. A delegation to the Viral Hepatitis Summit Forum in the Great Hall of the People delivered an appeal to government to support the inaugural World Hepatitis Day by ‘uniting to fight against hepatitis’. Representatives from the Forum joined together to raise awareness of hepatitis and the need to establish a harmonious society, as well as revealing the meaning of the ‘Am I Number 12?’ campaign. Pop and movie star Andy Lau joined the activities via video link-up to support the campaign. The ceremony culminated in a synchronised torch lighting ceremony and release of birds of peace - symbolising health and hope for people living with hepatitis.
More than 50 events were rolled out across Australia. On the evening of Sunday 18 May, Hepatitis Australia held a national launch event in Sydney incorporating media briefings and a performance by musician Criston Barker, a former member of rock band Air Supply. Many states also held launch events and Hepatitis Australia published two new Hepatitis B resources on-line: one a guide for primary care providers and the other a guide for consumers. In addition to educational and information initiatives, Australia coordinated a wide-range of ‘Am I Number 12?’ activities, including a 12 African Leaders Forum, 12 day street soccer tournament, rhythm exchange drumming celebration, art exhibitions and workshops as well as a Rock Concert.
The Hepatitis C Trust coordinated myriad activities in the UK, including a hepatitis testing day at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster where 12 Members of Parliament were tested on World Hepatitis Day. Thousands of patients were also offered hepatitis B and C testing at GP surgeries across the country, starting on 19 May. A number of fundraising activities were also undertaken.
In Scotland, the Hepatitis C Resouce Centre have been coordinating an event to celebrate World Hepatitis Day and the launch of the Phase II Hepatitis C Action Plan for Scotland
Press Conference - Geneva, Switzerland
Monday, 19 May 2008 9.30am
09.30 ‘Am I Number 12?’: A Global Campaign
Footage of the ‘Am I Number 12?’ campaign as it reaches the four corners of the world, from Sydney to Scotland and from Beijing to Buenos Aires
09.35 Welcome to the World Hepatitis Alliance
Introduction to the World Hepatitis Alliance, a voice for 500 million people living with chronic viral hepatitis B or C; he ‘Am I Number 12?’ campaign
Charles Gore, President, World Hepatitis Alliance
09.45 Completing the Data MapLaunch of the Hepatitis Atlas: Why we are currently working in the dark
Prof Shivaram Prasad Singh, Chairman Kalinga Gastroenterology Foundation, Cuttack, India
09.55 Putting Hepatitis on the Global AgendaThe “12 Asks” and why hepatitis needs to be in the same league as HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
Prof Jean-Michel Pawlotsky, Secretary-General, EASL
10.05 Living with Hepatitis BA patient’s experience of living with hepatitis B and what the world should be doing to help
Jo Meynell, Expert by Experience
10.15 Closing Comments from the World Health Organization
Craig N. Shapiro, M.D. Medical Officer, Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, Expanded Programme on Immunization, World Health Organization
10.20 Questions & Answers
European Parliament lunch debate
20 May 2008 13h00-14h30 European Parliament Strasbourg
This year’s Word Hepatitis Day will have as its main theme “Am I Number 12”. By outlining that 1 out of 12 citizens in the world are infected with a virus responsible for chronic viral hepatitis without being aware of it, the “Am I number 12” campaign aims to urge the EU and national governments to adopt measures aimed at tackling the “silent killer”. In order halt the scourge of viral hepatitis in the EU as well as increasing awareness, research, prevention and treatment of this disease, 12 Asks have been put forward to national governments – 6 to the EU specifically - by patient and professional organisations involved in the fight against viral hepatitis.
The aim of this lunch debate in the European Parliament will be to urge the EU to recognise viral hepatitis as a health priority in Europe by endorsing the 12 Asks and address viral hepatitis in a comprehensive and coordinated manner across the EU with a view to raising standards and optimising healthcare resources.
13.00: Welcome buffet
13.10: Opening remarks
Dr Jolanta Dičkut MEP, Dr Thomas Ulmer MEP
13.20: Commenting on the European Asks
* Dr. Marita van de Laar, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on the commitment of EU Member States to implement the future European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) criteria for the surveillance of viral hepatitis
* Dr. Jean-Claude Desenclos, Infectious Diseases Department, Institute de Veille Sanitaire, France, on the recognition that targeted hepatitis screening of risk groups will effectively prevent complications, such as liver scarring and liver cancer
* Dr. Marianne Takki, European Commission, DG Sanco, Health Threats Unit on the adoption of an EU Council Recommendation on targeted screening for viral hepatitis across Europe.
* Stephen Hughes MEP, on the commitment to a European strategy to protect healthcare workers from blood-borne infections such as hepatitis due to needle stick injuries by amending Directive 2000/54/EC on risks from biological agents at work
* Professor Jean-Michel Pawlotsky, Secretary General of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), on the prioritisation and support to EU funded research on viral hepatitis through the EU Research Framework Programme and Public Health Action Programme as the fourth major communicable and poverty-related disease alongside HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria
* Nadine Piorkowsky, President of the European Liver Patients’ Association (ELPA), on the commitment to work in partnership with hepatitis patient groups and healthcare professionals to ensure exchange of best practice amongst all stakeholders involved as regards to prevention, screening and control of viral hepatitis across the EU
14.10: Questions & Answers
14.25: Conclusions by MEPs Dr. Jolanta Dičkut & Thomas Ulmer
