Taking Action Against Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is endemic in Asia and the Asian American community. Making matters worse, the communicable disease is asymptomatic, and the majority of sufferers are not aware they have it until more life-threatening illness occurs. A diversity specialist at MS&L was intimately involved in the pilot program which led to a national campaign by GlaxoSmithKline to educate at-risk adults and motivate them to get screened. The majority of the target population was comprised of ethnic Chinese adult males of low and limited incomes. Conducted in New York City and Los Angeles, the pilot included an automated toll-free line for information and physician referrals in Cantonese, Mandarin and English, advertising and op-eds in local ethnic newspapers, outreach to community-based organizations, a patient video in Cantonese and Mandarin, and a pamphlet in Chinese and English. The specialist was also in charge of recruiting local physicians with cultural sensitivity and language skill for the pilot program. As a result of the campaign, approximately 13 percent of screened adults proved positive for the disease, enabling them to get proper, and timely, treatment.