The greatest health disparity between Asian Americans and white Americans is the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection and the high incidence of liver cancer, 80% of which is caused by chronic hepatitis B infection. Approximately 1 in 10 Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Americans have chronic hepatitis B infection compared with 1 in 1,000 of white Americans. Liver cancer rates are 9 times higher in Vietnamese Americans, 4 times higher in Korean Americans, and 4 times higher in Chinese Americans than white Americans.

In May 2001, the Asian Liver Center launched the Jade Ribbon Campaign in the San Francisco Bay Area to spread awareness about hepatitis B and liver cancer in the Asian community. Since then, the Jade Ribbon Campaign has spread across the country and the world, reaching Asian communities in San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, Arizona, New York, Hawaii, as well as China and the Philippines, uniting people from all walks of life in the fight against hepatitis B and liver cancer. Partners of the Jade Ribbon Campaign include over 400 groups of community organizations and federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Hepatitis B Task Force for Immunization, and the Health Resources and Services Administration and its affiliated agencies in the US Department of Health and Human Services.

The objective of the campaign is to increase awareness and provide ethnic-sensitive health information to the API community and health professionals in an effort to reduce this major health disparity and improve API health. This multimedia campaign includes television public service announcements, radio shows, bus ads, lectures in the community, and more.

Considered to be the essence of heaven and earth, Jade is believed in many Asian cultures to bring good luck and longevity while deflecting negativity. Folded like the Chinese character meaning "person" or "people," the Jade Ribbon symbolizes the united voices of those fighting hepatitis B and liver cancer worldwide.

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The Asian Liver Center conducts translational research by which our scientific research is translated into practical applications to improve human health.  Research in liver cancer has generally received low priority for federal funding in this country, contributing to the current lack of effective treatment for chronically infected individuals. We are committed to finding novel approaches to increase the efficacy of diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment through the development of a comprehensive liver cancer research program with an emphasis on liver cancer genomics, biomarkers, molecular targets, and investigational anti-tumor agents. The ALC is currently working on a perinatal hepatitis B prevention initiative to design and implement strategies to prevent mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B in Alameda and Santa Clara counties, where the combined population of about 3.2 million experiences some of the highest rates of chronic HBV and liver cancer in the US.  We are dedicated to our clinical research and community research programs to ensure patients receive the most effective treatment and that our outreach efforts make the largest possible impact for a healthier community. Through our multi-faceted translational research, we hope to change national policies and the attitudes of healthcare providers towards HBV and liver cancer prevention through sound, evidence-based information from vigorous lab, clinical and community-based research studies.