(Dara Stieglitz is a registered nurse and a board member of the Laotian American National Alliance (LANA)).

One of the issues affecting the Laotian community is that we have the number one rate of liver cancer. Because one of the major causes of liver cancer is Hepatitis B virus (HBV), the Laotian American National Alliance (LANA) has partnered with the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University as part of the Jade Ribbon Campaign. The Jade Ribbon Campaign is an international effort to minimize the effects of HBV on the liver by asking people to get tested, vaccinated and treated.

As part of the Jade Ribbon campaign, LANA has made publications about HBV and HBV in pregnant women available online at www.lana-usa.org for free for downloads in Lao and English.

How do you contract Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a virus that causes liver disease. There are three known types of hepatitis: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. Hepatitis B is the predominant liver disease in the Laotian community. It is caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV).

HBV spreads when blood, semen or other bodily fluid from an infected person enters the body of an uninfected person.
Examples of how HBV is spread:
*via sex with an infected person without using a condom as the efficacy of latex condoms in preventing infection with HBV is unknown
*via needles or other sharp objects at work
*via needles sharing intra-dermal, intravenous or intra-arterial drugs
*from an infected mother to her child during birth

Hepatitis B is NOT spread through food, water, sharing eating utensils, breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, coughing, sneezing or by casual contact.

Hepatitis B Symptoms
Hepatitis B can manifest no symptoms at all. Some symptoms of Hepatitis B include:
• yellow skin or yellowing of the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
• tiredness
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• abdominal discomfort
• dark urine
• clay-colored bowel movements
• joint pain

Testing and Treatment
A blood test can tell if you have hepatitis. If you do not have it, get vaccinated. If you have it, it means you have a virus that specifically attacks your liver. Get treatment and also know that liver disease worsens with continued consumption of alcohol and poor diet.

San Francisco Hep B Free is a citywide campaign to turn San Francisco into the first Hepatitis B free city in the nation. This unprecedented 2-year-long campaign will screen, vaccinate and treat all San Francisco Asian and Pacific Islander residents for Hepatitis B by providing convenient, free or low-cost testing at partnering health facilities and events.

If your condition does not get better, it is called chronic HBV, which lasts a lifetime. Chronic HBV can lead to scarring of the liver, liver failure or liver cancer. There is a vaccine for HBV and requires three shots over a period of time. It has been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that all newborns get the vaccine, as well as older children. Adults can request the vaccine as well. All health care workers and those in public services are also encouraged to get vaccinated.

Education and Policy Advocacy
LANA is currently looking for partners in the Laotian American community to help with the Jade Ribbon campaign by disseminating information on Hepatitis B virus, passing out flyers, encouraging testing, and providing a list of resources to the community about where to get free or low-cost testing and treatment.

Advocacy in California: LANA is partnering with local South East Asian organizations to advocate for a policy supporting low-cost testing and treatment. If you have insurance and do not live in San Francisco, please visit your doctor to get tested. If you do not have health insurance, please visit a free clinic to get tested.

Advocacy in the US: LANA is looking for all Laotian American organizations and individuals to join the Jade Ribbon Campaign by volunteering to download the flyers and share them with family and friends.

Traveling
If you travel to countries where Hepatitis B is common, get the vaccine--and, yes, Laos is one of those countries.

The Asian Liver Center
The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University is the only nonprofit organization in the United States that addresses the high incidence of Hepatitis B and liver cancer in Asians and Asian Americans. Founded in 1996, the Center uses a three-pronged approach towards fighting Hepatitis B through outreach, education, and research. Specifically, the Asian Liver Center spearheads educational outreach and advocacy efforts in the areas of Hepatitis B and liver cancer prevention and treatment, serves as a resource for both the general public and health practitioners, and implements clinical and research programs.

In May 2001, the Asian Liver Center launched the Jade Ribbon Campaign in the San Francisco Bay Area to spread awareness about Hepatitis B and liver cancer in the Asian community. The objective of the campaign is to increase awareness and provide ethnic-sensitive health information to the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community and health professionals in an effort to reduce this major health disparity and improve API health. Folded like the Chinese character meaning “person” or “people,” the Jade Ribbon symbolizes the united voices of those fighting Hepatitis B and liver cancer worldwide.

LANA
The Laotian American National Alliance (LANA) is a nonprofit advocacy organization started in 1997 and incorporated in 2001 by a group of concerned Laotian Americans. LANA’s mission is to advocate for the social, economic and educational advancement of Laotian Americans. Ms.KaYing Yang, then-Executive Director of SEARAC, stated, “LANA will serve as a vehicle to disseminate critical information such as federal policies, funding opportunities, legislative action alerts, urgent community concerns and professional networking. It will also serve as a bridge to build coalitions with other Asian American organizations, as well as other immigrant and civil rights groups.”

Today, we have a vibrant board of directors who are continuously building bridges with local Laotian organizations to reach the vision and mission of LANA. LANA’s vision is to be the premier resource and advocacy organization in the United States striving to cultivate the strength and leadership of all Laotian Americans comprising of the diverse ethnic communities from Hmong, Iu-Mien, Katu, Khmu, Ngae, Lahu, Lao, Lue, Phu Tai, Tai Daeng, Tai Dam, Tai Khao, Tai Phuan, Taliang and other descendants from Laos who make up the dynamic, collective Laotian American community.

As individuals, how can you help?
Log on to www.lana-usa.org to order free brochures to pass out to family and friends. Go get tested, vaccinated, treated and wear the Jade Ribbon.

As a member of a Laotian organization, how can you help?
Link your website to www.lana-usa.org, provide an educational table for health, civic engagement and educational materials from LANA. Invite LANA in to educate your community about advocacy and the impact on Laotian Americans.

Each of us provides a ripple effect on each other, so make a difference and take action.

Laotian American National Alliance, Inc.
c/o Newcomer Community Service Center
1628 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Telephone (202) 370-7841
Facsimile (202) 462-2774
E-mail office@LANA-USA.ORG
For more information, please contact Sourichanh Noi Chanthyasack (201) 923-9618 (Pacific Standard Time) or Dara Stieglitz (732) 899-0191 (Eastern Standard Time).

Resources
Khammany Mathavongsy, Board Member of the Laotian American National Alliance
Go to www.lana-usa.org to download his power point presentation presented at the Center for Lao Studies, Second International Conference on May 2007.

The Asian Liver Center at Stanford, California
http://liver.stanford.edu/

National Institute of Health
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitisb.html#cat1

Center for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/faqb.htm#gen