It will also work in concert with the CDC and other agencies which are already active in the areas of education for health care providers. It will also be valuable to learn from the experience gained from other groups such as the Veterans Health Administration, and the AASLD will work toward developing partnerships to use the knowledge and information from such entities to

promote Mitomycin C cell line the recommendations of the IOM for the general population. The Hepatitis B Special Interest Group of the AASLD is currently developing an initial educational module directed toward primary care providers. The AASLD also strongly endorses the recommendations of the IOM for the development of programs designed

to prevent the acquisition of new infection with hepatitis B or C. These programs are also likely to require substantial resource allocation, and the AASLD urges the federal government to act expeditiously on these recommendations. This will remain a cornerstone of the advocacy efforts of the AASLD. Perhaps an area where the IOM report does not go far enough is to make specific recommendations about Selleck BIBW2992 providing access and support for treatment of infected individuals via Medicare and other third-party payors. The report recommends referral for medical management without specific recommendations for provision of access to treatment. The AASLD believes that, given the availability of effective therapies, it is vitally important to treat appropriate populations of infected individuals. The achievement of a sustained virologic response to anti–hepatitis C virus therapy and viral suppression in those with active hepatitis B has already been shown to diminish the risks of disease progression. By treating the disease earlier in its course, it is likely that the social, medical, and economic burden of advanced liver disease and drain on the pool of organs available for liver transplantation will be alleviated. The AASLD

supports and will advocate for the appropriate studies to be performed by federal agencies to validate this possibility and provide an evidence-based rationale for early detection medchemexpress and treatment of chronic viral hepatitis. The ability to provide access to effective treatment by the Ryan White Act made a great impact on the burden of human immunodeficiency virus. It is now time for similar legislation to help the millions with viral hepatitis. A key factor that will determine the success of any initiative to control the burden of chronic viral hepatitis is the availability of an adequately trained workforce. Traditionally, the educational and training programs related to viral hepatitis have focused on gastroenterologists and hepatologists, who often practice in a tertiary care setting.