Dear Colleagues,
May 12th marked the second anniversary of Combating the Silent Epidemic of Viral Hepatitis: Action Plan for the Prevention, Care & Treatment of Viral Hepatitis and I write today to share an important announcement from Dr. Howard Koh, the Assistant Secretary for Health. Namely, that we plan to undertake a process to update and renew the existing National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan, which ends in 2013, through 2014-2016.
I have been honored over the past two years to lead the implementation of this ambitious plan and it has been truly inspiring to both observe and participate in the intensified activities unfolding across agencies and offices within the Department of Health and Human Services and among our federal partners at the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Veterans Affairs (VA). Just recently, we were pleased to welcome the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the ranks of federal partners collaborating to combat the silent epidemic of viral hepatitis under the auspices of the Viral Hepatitis Implementation Group (VHIG). The renewal of the Action Plan provides new opportunities and I look forward to outlining broader federal collaborations and continuing to partner with state and local health departments, health care providers, communities disproportionately impacted by hepatitis B and C, and the broader public health community.
See Dr. Howard Koh's blog and announcement and consider sharing your ideas on the 2014 Action Plan in writing or by participating in one of the upcoming webinars that will be scheduled during the month of June. In the next few weeks, we'll share additional information on how you can participate as we renew our vision of a nation committed to combating the silent epidemic of viral hepatitis.
Sincerely,
Ronald O. Valdiserri, MD, MPHDeputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health