Advocates Rally To Warn Latinos Of Dangers Of Hepatitis C

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August 09, 2005 - Hundreds of concerned New Yorkers and advocates are working to raise awareness about the importance getting tested for Hepatitis C. In the following report, NY1’s Kafi Drexel has more on why they're making it a top cause.

A sea of people marched from Battery Park to City Hall Tuesday, in an effort to spread the message about the dangers of Hepatitis C.

According to the city's Department of Health, nearly 300,000 New Yorkers are infected with the blood-borne virus. Not only is it a top cause of liver disease, but it's become the number one cause for liver transplants in New York and across the United States.

“This virus is killing many people, millions all over the world, and not just all over the world but in the U.S.,” says Benjamin Ramirez, a transplant recipient. “Also, awareness is good because people are having unprotected sex and people are using drugs out there, and they need to know about this virus.”

Organizers of Tuesday’s march say while this is a crucial message to spread all around, it's a particularly important one for the Latino community. That's because 40 percent of those infected with Hepatitis C in New York are Hispanic.

According to various studies, Hepatitis C has become a top killer for Latinos. The National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services reports one out of every 50 Latinos is infected with the virus.

That's why groups like LOLA, the Latino Organization for Liver Awareness, say it's important to spread the word about getting tested and treated for the disease. The group's founder, Debbie Delgado Vega, suffered from chronic liver disease and is a transplant recipient herself.

Back in her Bronx office, she says it's not clear why the disease so disproportionately affects the Hispanic community, but she says it definitely has a devastating impact.

“I just don't want to see many more Latinos on a waiting list for transplant, because the truth is that many of them might not even be eligible,” says Delgado Vega. “Transplant costs anywhere between $300,000 to $500,000, and if that's not impacting, more impacting is the fact that you need $3,000 to $5,000 a month to for your medications that are crucial for the continuation. And let’s just face it, many Latinos will not be even eligible to be placed on that transplant list.”

Funding is also a key issue in getting the message about Hepatitis C across to more New Yorkers. On the steps of City Hall, LOLA received a check for nearly $500,000 in funding to continue their work.

Delgado Vega says it's a small step, but a step in the right direction. She along with dozens of other advocates say they hope it will have a domino effect toward permanently getting rid of the disease.

- Kafi Drexel / NY1

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