AsianScientist (Feb. 2,
2015) - The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation has in the past month
awarded nine new multi-year grants for more than US$3.5 million to
strengthen efforts against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus
(HCV) in India and China, which constitute the most vulnerable
populations worldwide.
The grants were made through the Foundation’s Delivering Hope
initiative, an independent philanthropic wing of BMS to prevent
hepatitis in Asia. These align with the World Health Organization’s
(WHO) call for action against the global hepatitis threat with
comprehensive strategies for awareness, prevention and treatment. Last
year, Delivering Hope established three Centers of Excellence, one in
China and two in India, that are focusing on just these goals.
An urgent public health issue, hepatitis is an inflammation of the
liver, most commonly caused by a viral infection. The WHO estimates that
hepatitis B and C affect over 500 million people worldwide. Viral
hepatitis is often referred to as a ‘silent epidemic’ because most
people do not realize that they are infected and, over decades, progress
to severe liver diseases. This underscores the urgent need for
universal access to immunization, screening, diagnosis and antiviral
therapy.
Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine at:
http://www.asianscientist.com/2015/02/pharma/bms-foundation-awards-us3-5-million-hepatitis-grants/Labels: Asia, BMS, WHO