The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has announced the creation of a groundbreaking new position, the Hepatitis Coordinator. This marks the first time such an appointment has been made in the County, highlighting the severity of the Hepatitis C (HCV) epidemic, which affects 180,000 people in the County.
Hepatitis C is a major global health issue – a ‘viral time bomb.’ It is clearly an important public health problem in Los Angeles County, said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, MD, MPH, Director, Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Our mission is to have a concerted effort to address this health issue countywide. With the additional resource of a coordinator, we will be able to expand and enhance our current activities. Collaborations with internal and external partners will be key to our success in raising awareness, providing treatment services and delivering technical assistance to other partners working against Hepatitis C.
There are now more people in Los Angeles infected with Hepatitis C than with HIV. Hepatitis C is a major cause of preventable death in the county with syringe-sharing as the primary method of transmission. Sexual transmission among men who have sex with men is also increasing the Hepatitis C epidemic.
The new Coordinator position is essential to addressing the needs of those with Hepatitis C and stopping the spread of the blood-borne virus. Despite the known and unknown number of Angelenos infected with Hepatitis C, the health crisis is not getting the attention it demands. The new county position will help change that, according to Brian Risley, Co-Chair, Hepatitis C Task Force for Los Angeles County.
For more information on the Hepatitis C Task Force or Hepatitis C, please visit
http://www.hepctaskforcela.org