Students Launch Cal Hep B
October 2, 2008
BERKELEY, Calif. — Clad in green and black t-shirts with the words, “Smart. Tested. Free. I am Are You?”
UC Berkeley students announced the launch of the Cal Hep B Free Campaign on Sept. 9 at the campus’ Tang Center.
The student-initiated campaign effort brings together university students, faculty and administration in an effort to screen, vaccinate and treat high-risk ethnic groups, specifically individuals of Asian and Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Russian and African descent.
The campaign will spread its message of “B smart, B tested, B free!” with media outreach including online video, website, print and campus media outlets, as well as promotional activities including a Hep B Awareness Week, a “Rock the Jade” benefit concert with Assemblywoman Fiona Ma and a $1,000 challenge that rewards both individuals and campus student groups that recruit the most students to be tested, according to Denis Lam, founder of Team HBV at UC Berkeley.
“A few of my relatives are chronic carriers and hopefully with this outreach campaign, many people will be screened and will learn more about this disease,” said Charlie Nguyen, Cal Hep B Free’s marketing director.
To promote screenings, Cal Hep B Free will reimburse the first 1,000 students that get screened at the Tang Center, the University’s health clinic.
“We are enthusiastic to support the campaign,” said Dr. Brad Buchman, medical director, University Health Services. “Tang Center looks forward to offer its services to all Cal students that would like to be screened for hepatitis B.”
“There’s still a long way to go, but I’m excited to contribute to a movement that may very well result in the eradication of the next global epidemic since small pox,” said Elaine Dang, a Cal Hep B Free advisory board member.
UC Berkeley’s Asian and Pacific Islander population comprises over 40 percent of the university’s undergraduate population.
Last spring, the university unanimously passed a bill establishing the goal of promoting hepatitis B prevention and awareness at UC Berkeley through grassroots efforts.
For more information about Cal Hep B Free, visit calhepbfree.org. For more about S.F. Hep B Free, visit sfhepbfree.org.
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