Mike Honda: “A common misperception of AAPIs is that, as a group, we face fewer health problems than other racial and ethnic groups.…”

“A common misperception of AAPIs is that, as a group, we face fewer health problems than other racial and ethnic groups. In fact, Asians, as a group, and specific populations within this group, do experience disparities in health and health care. For example, Asian Pacific Islanders have the highest hepatitis B rates of any racial group in the United States. We must bring attention to and educate our communities about prevention of hepatitis B through testing and vaccination. In the United States, 12 million people have been infected at some time in their lives with hepatitis B virus, and more than 5,000 Americans die from hepatitis B-related liver complications every year. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders account for more than half of the chronic hepatitis B cases and half of the deaths resulting from chronic hepatitis B infections in the United States. In order to break this silence surrounding this deadly disease and bring awareness to the American people, Congressman Edolphus Towns, Congressman Charlie Dent, Congressman Anh Cao, and I have introduced the Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act.”