Annual National African-American Hepatitis C Action Day, July 25

The second annual National African-American Hepatitis C Action Day is July 25 and various informational events and clinics offering free testing will be available nationwide, according to a press release from the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS.

The National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (NBLCA), along with the Coalition on Positive Health Empowerment and the Harm Reduction Coalition, are spearheading the initiative to reduce high rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in black communities. The organizations hope the event will draw more attention to regions where HCV is most prominent among African-Americans. The CDC estimates 3.2 million Americans have HCV; approximately 22% are African-Americans, the release said.

“We call this a ‘day of action’ because we need to ensure that deliberate actions are taken to stem the tide of the hepatitis C epidemic in black communities throughout the nation,” C. Virginia Fields, president and chief executive officer of NBLCA, said in the release. “NBLCA and its partners are working together to create awareness about this critical and under-recognized health problem.”

HCV awareness events are being held across the US, including an educational and research forum in Bridgeport, Conn., Hepatitis C Action Day Testing and Education seminar in Syracuse, N.Y., and an action day in Washington, D.C.