Grantees
Meet some of our 2021 ALL4LIVER Grantees (in alphabetical order):
Location: Hong Kong
Early liver health education is key to reducing the incidence of liver cancer. In 2020, liver cancer was the third leading cause of cancer deaths in Hong Kong. 1530 people died from liver cancer in 2020, accounting for 10.3% of all cancer deaths that year.[4]
CANCERINFORMATION.COM.HK CHARITY FOUNDATION
Cancerinformation.com.hk Charity Foundation was established in 2017 and is a non-government charity organization in Hong Kong. They aim to provide patient supporting services, raise public awareness of cancer, provide up-to-date health education with various video and article production, empower patients and caregivers, and develop a mutual support community for both patients and caregivers.Location: India
Access to preventive and testing services for the detection of chronic hepatitis B is a challenge in India, where there remains a stigma and discrimination against individuals who are at a high risk of infection.[5]
COMMUNITY NETWORK FOR EMPOWERMENT
Community Network for Empowerment is a state level network of 11 community-based organizations in Manipur, India, established in 2011. They contribute to the government’s health response at the state and national level, relating to people who use drugs and that includes people living with viral hepatitis B, C and HIV. Since their inception, they have helped to remove barriers in accessing treatment of viral hepatitis and other blood borne diseases for the marginalized community under the national program.
LIVER FOUNDATION, WEST BENGAL
Liver Foundation, West Bengal is a not-for-profit, non-government organization playing a pivotal role in ensuring liver diseases are a priority health issue in India. It was initiated in 2006 by a group of liver specialists, clinicians, academics and social activists. Their aims center around the three pillars of promoting liver health; preventing and curing liver diseases; and promoting the overall human health. They do so through programmatic activities in liver disease awareness, demystification campaigns and research on liver disease burden in India.Location: Taiwan
Hepatitis B is the most important risk factor for liver cancer in Taiwan. While a mass vaccination program against hepatitis B was launched in 1984, it is estimated that there are still between 1.8 and 1.9 million carriers of Hepatitis B virus in Taiwan today.[6]
LIVER DISEASE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT RESEARCH FOUNDATION
The Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Foundation was established in 1983 by a group of hepatobiliary specialists from the National Taiwan University Hospital. What began as a liver disease clinic is today a foundation for public advocacy and medical research center for liver prevention and treatment. Their mission is to eliminate liver disease in Taiwan, and they hope to achieve this through two ways. First, educating the public through promotion of knowledge of liver disease prevention and treatment. Second, developing innovative medicine through research on the treatment of liver diseases.
TAIWAN LIVER RESEARCH FOUNDATION
The Taiwan Liver Research Foundation was established in 1999 by Professor Wen-Yu Zhang. Liver disease is one of the most common disease in Taiwan, with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma among the leading causes of death locally. Their mission is to encourage and promote the education, prevention and research of liver disease. This includes providing liver disease screening, training domestic researchers and providing a platform for the exchange of liver disease knowledge between primary medical and academic institutions. They recognize the importance of emphasizing prevention over treatment, early diagnosis, regular follow-ups and health education when tackling liver diseases.Location: Singapore
Liver disease is a significant health issue in Singapore, with liver cancer being the 5th most common cancer in males.[7]
NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR DIGESTIVE DISEASES
The National Foundation for Digestive Disease is a platform established by the late Professor Seah Cheng Siang. They aim to inform the public on functions of the digestive system, and disseminate knowledge on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases affecting the digestive system. Their mission is to support research programs on diseases, connect with like-minded national and international bodies, and assist in formulating and recommending legislation for the care of people living with diseases of the digestive system.Location: Thailand
Common liver diseases in Thailand include chronic hepatitis B and C. Roughly one-third of patients with these diseases in Thailand will progress to cirrhosis and primary liver cancer. Liver cancer is the leading cancer in Thai males and the third in frequency in females.[8]
THAI ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF THE LIVER
The Thai Association for the Study of the Liver was founded in 2000 with the vision to become a national and Asia-Pacific regionally recognized professional association. Its missions are to enhance the knowledge of hepatitis and scientific breakthrough for physicians and medical personnel, provide cooperation in training internists specializing in gastroenterology in the field of liver disease, develop medical treatments for hepatitis that meets international standards, encourage research and publications on hepatitis and support the academic exchange to enhance people’s awareness and understanding of hepatitis.
THE FOUNDATION FOR AIDS RESEARCH (TREAT ASIA)
The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR)’s TREAT Asia program works through a network of clinics, hospitals, research institutions, and civil society partners to support HIV treatment and care in Asia Pacific, and is regarded as a model for regional collaboration on research, education and training, and community advocacy. TREAT Asia is also committed to implementing viral hepatitis education, promoting awareness, and advocating for treatment access and policy change. These efforts are facilitated through close collaborations with community groups representing key at-risk populations, regional and global public health agencies, and providers caring for people living with HIV and viral hepatitis.Location: Indonesia
Indonesia experiences intermediate to high hepatitis B endemicity that varies between provinces, making liver care an important public health concern.[9]
YAYASAN PEDULI HATI BANGSA
Yayasan Peduli Hati Bangsa is a non-profit organization of and for people living and affected by viral hepatitis and HIV. It was formed to raise awareness around both types of diseases in Indonesia. Through advocacy and education programs, they aim to boost the general public’s knowledge of and access to available diagnosis and treatment options for hepatitis and HIV. Yayasan Peduli Hati Bangsa also provides psychosocial support services for the family members of people living with hepatitis and HIV.Location: Pakistan
Pakistan has one of the world’s highest prevalence of hepatitis C. Around 5% of the general population is infected, making viral hepatitis elimination a key national priority.[10]
YOUTH ASSOCIATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
The Youth Association for Development is a youth-led civil society initiative based in Quetta. Established in 2002 by a group of volunteers in Balochistan, they are a human rights-based, multi-sector development organization that uses the participatory development approach to bring long-term change and sustainable development to the community. Their key aims are to promote health education and awareness through mobilization, innovation, advocacy, networking, capacity building, and research.Location: Philippines
Around 1 in 10 people have chronic hepatitis B, and 6 in 1000 people have chronic hepatitis C in the Philippines. Due to the lack of awareness, most individuals are unaware of their infection until it is too late, making viral hepatitis a huge public health concern. [11]
