Billboard Campaign Calls Attention To Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C

A billboard campaign that Maryland state officials hope will raise awareness of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) began appearing this week in the Baltimore area.

"There are ways to protect your liver and avoid transmitting HCV,� said Dr. Michelle A. Gourdine, DHMH deputy secretary for Public Health Services.�If you are at risk, a simple blood test is a good way to learn your status."

And that is the message the billboards are designed to impart.Six faces jump out of a bright yellow background, all thinking, �Me?�The balance of the text reads �Hep C.Find Out � HepCMaryland.org�, a site sponsored by DHMH.

DHMH officials estimate that nearly two-thirds of approximate 100,000 Maryland residents infected with HCV do not know they have the disease.

"Complications of HCV infection are a serious health burden in our state," Dr. Gourdine said. "That�s why it is so important to help all Marylanders be aware of this important public health problem.

The 16 billboards are posted for a one-month period.Fifteen are located in Baltimore City and one is in Baltimore County. The display is a public service by Clear Channel Outdoors.Production of the print material is through a donation from Maryland Partnership for Prevention, with grant funding from GlaxoSmithKlein.

The Baltimore City locations are:

* North side of Baltimore Street east of Mt. Olivet Lane

* South side of Cherry Bill Road east of Cherryland Road

* South side of Frankfurt Avenue east of Hanover Street

* East side of Haven Street north of O�Donnell Street

* East side of Huntingdon Avenue south of 26th Street

* South side of Lafayette Avenue, east of Charles Street

* South side of O�Donnell Street east of Angelsea Street

* North side of Patapsco Avenue east of 9th Street

* East side of Remington Avenue south of 29th Street

* East side of Shell Road south of Patapsco Avenue

* West side of Warwick Avenue south of Franking Street

* North side of Waterview Avenue west of Cherry Hill Road

* South side of Wilkens Avenue east of Dukeland Street

* South side of Wilkens Avenue east of Cole Street

* North side of 27th Street west of Remington Avenue

* The Baltimore County billboard is east of North Point Boulevard south of Old North Point Road.

HCV infection is four times more prevalent than HIV infection and the most common blood-borne infection in the United States.It's the leading cause of liver disease and the number one indication for liver transplants.