Join Hepatitis Partners for a Twitter Chat on May 19th, #HepTestingDay!

Join Hep B United, NASTAD, National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) and CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis for a Twitter HepChat on Hepatitis Testing Day, May 19th at 2 P.M. EDT.  The chat will highlight hepatitis events and allow partner organizations to share their successes, challenges and lessons learned from their efforts, particularly during this unique time. Partners will also highlight innovative strategies for outreach during COVID-19. This twitter chat serves to keep us all informed, raise awareness and share messaging. All are encouraged to join the twitter chat conversation with the hashtag #HepChat20, and to keep partners posted throughout the month about events and messaging with the hashtag #HepAware2020.

Below are the planned Twitter Chat topics for discussion. Participants are invited to share tweets including graphics, GIFs or short video clips from hepatitis events, as well as best practices and challenges in conducting outreach and other events.

T1. Why is viral hepatitis testing so important? What are best practices you could share with others to ensure populations at risk get tested for viral hepatitis and linked to care? #HepChat20

T2. What methods does your organization use to prevent hepatitis A, B, and C? #HepChat20

T3. How do you engage key communities, people living with hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and other organizations in your hepatitis education, outreach and testing events? #HepChat20

T4. How can we better support people living with hepatitis B and C to ensure their stories are heard and inform our approaches to increasing hepatitis testing and outreach efforts? #HepChat20

T5. What role can providers play in communicating the importance of hepatitis B and hepatitis C testing? How can organizations and communities better engage providers in their efforts? #HepChat20

T6. How are you working toward achieving elimination goals and strategies for viral hepatitis in your community? #HepChat20

T7. How does your organization work to address viral hepatitis B and hepatitis C stigma and discrimination? What barriers exist and how are you working to overcome those barriers? #HepChat20

T8. In light of the current environment around COVID-19, what strategies are you trying to implement to adapt hepatitis outreach, education or testing activities? #HepChat20

T9. Who are your key partners in your hepatitis testing and elimination efforts? How do you work with them throughout the year? Tag them in your response! #HepChat20

Plan to share your hepatitis outreach events, successes and challenges, pictures, and video clips, or use this opportunity to ask the featured organizations questions about their work.

You can prepare any questions or tweets you might have for the above topics in advance, or you can also tweet on the fly, re-tweet, or Like a tweet from the chat.

The topics are labeled T1, T2, etc. so please respond/answer a specific topic by using A1, A2, etc. in front of your tweets. Remember to include the #HepChat20 hashtag, which is not case sensitive, in all of your tweets.

Hosts and their handles for the chat:

  • Hep B United - @hepbunited
  • NASTAD - @NASTAD
  • National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable - @NVHR1
  • CDC's, Division of Viral Hepatitis - @cdchep
  • CDC National Prevention Information Network - @CDCNPIN (Moderator)

Featured Partners

  • Hep B United Philadelphia - @HepBunitedPhila
  • Hepatitis Education Project - @HepEduProject
  • Hep Free Hawaii - @HepFreeHawaii
  • Harm Reduction - @PAHarmReduction
  • Hep C Free Washington - @HepCFreeWA
  • Dr. Robert Gish - @RobertGish
  • Hep B patient voice, Kim Vu -  @KaceyVu1
  • Hep C patient voice,  Rick Nash  - @hepatitisme
  • Prevent Cancer Foundation - @PreventCancer

Confirmed Participants

  • Hepatitis B Foundation - @hepbfoundation
  • AAPCHO -  @hepBPolicy
  • Hepatitis Delta Connect - @hepdconnnect
  • Hep Free NYC -@hepfreenyc
  • HBI-DC - @HBIDC
  • Coalition Against Hepatitis for People of African Origin -  @CHIPO_HBV
  • Liver Cancer Connect - @livercancerconn

Email Maureen.Kamischke@hepb.org or direct message @hepbfoundation to confirm your participation and to be added to the list.  Looking forward to the conversation, May 19th!