Hepatitis C Advocacy opportunity. Significant numbers of PWAs have hepC

[Smoothstone]

Significant numbers of PWAs have hepatitis C:
> Ryan Clary, Associate Director, Health Care Advocacy at Project
Inform, rclary@projectinform.org, has been working with colleagues in
the Hepatitis C Appropriations Partnership to establish a national
grassroots network of individuals and organizations focused on HCV
advocacy. We are finally ready to launch! Below is our recruitment
email. Please forward to anyone you think might be interested and
post to other listservs you are on, if appropriate. We believe that
this is the first national grassroots network focused on hepatitis C
policy/funding issues.
>
> Your voice is needed!
>
> To join Hepatitis C Advocates UNITED!, send an email to
rclary@projectinform.org with “Subscribe” in the subject field. In
the email, please put your first name (and last name, if you are
comfortable) and your city/state.
>
> The numbers are staggering. There are over 4 million Americans
currently infected with the hepatitis C virus. Most of them are
unaware that they have the virus.
>
> Despite these statistics, the response from the federal government
to this epidemic has been dismal. Funding for viral hepatitis
programs has remained flat, the President has refused to recognize
May as “National Hepatitis Awareness Month,” and legislation to mount
a comprehensive national HCV education and testing campaign has
stalled.
>
> It is time that our elected representatives hear from us directly
that we expect national leadership to fight HCV. Join Hepatitis C
Advocates UNITED!, a new grassroots coalition formed by the Hepatitis
C Appropriations Partnership (HCAP) and the National Hepatitis C
Advocacy Council (NHCAC). This coalition of individuals and
organizations around the country will work together to create
grassroots campaigns aimed at educating Congress and the Bush
Administration about the need for adequate funding and legislation to
combat the HCV epidemic. We’ll also share information and strategies
about state-level issues.
>
Our first three campaigns will focus on:
>
1.Securing the highest possible increase for viral hepatitis programs
in the final FY 2008 funding bill.
>
2.Getting House and Senate co-sponsors for the “Hepatitis C Epidemic
Control and Prevention Act,” a bill that would establish a
comprehensive federal hepatitis C research and prevention program.
>
3.Contacting key officials of the Bush Administration and urging them
to provide an increase for federal viral hepatitis programs in the
President’s FY 2009 budget.
>
> Other issues and campaigns will be determined by members of the
coalition.
>
> We will communicate through a moderated listserv and monthly
conference calls.
>
> Hepatitis C Advocates UNITED! is a national, grassroots network of
individuals and organizations fighting for increased funding for
hepatitis programs and legislation to mount a comprehensive federal
effort to fight the disease. We design grassroots strategies to
educate our elected representatives about the need for adequate HCV
funding and policies, including action alerts, sign-on letters
legislative meetings, media activities, and other campaigns. We also
share information and strategies on state-level issues and campaigns.
We communicate through a moderated listserv and monthly conference
calls. Hepatitis C Advocates UNITED! was formed by the Hepatitis C
Appropriations Partnership (HCAP) and the National Hepatitis C
Advocacy Council (NHCAC).