March 2019 - Su Wang, MD, MPH, Medical Director, The Center for Asian Health at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, a RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group provider located in Florham Park, NJ, has been appointed President-Elect for The World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA). WHA’s executive board consists of members from across the world including the six world regions of Africa, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia and Western Pacific, bringing extensive experience and expertise to the alliance, and Dr. Wang has served on the executive board of the WHA since 2014 as a regional representative for the PAHO (Americas) region.
As President-Elect, she will shadow current President Michael Ninburg until January 2020, when she will take up the role of President. Dr. Wang will lead the organization in being a voice for those living with hepatitis, and continue to drive policy and advocacy towards the global goal of viral hepatitis elimination by 2030, as adopted by the World Health Organization in 2016.
Dr. Wang discovered she had hepatitis B after donating blood in college and has used her own personal experience to advocate for the elimination of hepatitis. She worked for many years in New York City leading outreach and care programs for hepatitis B patients and now directs a number of hepatitis B and C programs in her current role as Medical Director for the Center for Asian Health..
“I am honored to have this opportunity to serve as President and continue the great work of the Alliance in moving us towards elimination by 2030,” Wang noted.
World Hepatitis Alliance represents 400 million people living with viral hepatitis. Viral hepatitis is the leading cause of liver cancer worldwide, the 7th leading cause of death globally and accounts for 1.4 million deaths per year. With effective vaccines and treatments, viral hepatitis can be eliminated through greater awareness of the disease, screening and proper care for those infected.
In 2018, Dr. Wang spearheaded an initiative to automate screening for viral hepatitis B and C in the Saint Barnabas Medical Center Emergency Department for high risk groups, as recommended by the CDC. Thus far, more than 16,000 people have been screened and about 200 individuals identified to have chronic hepatitis and provided linkage-to-care services. “Our cancer center has found that patients in this area are presenting with late stage liver cancer more than in other areas. We are doing all we can to decrease those numbers by starting off with screening and getting people into care,” says Dr. Wang
The Center for Asian Health provides an invaluable service to the Asian community to bring them important health services by assisting with cultural and language barriers. CAH provides primary care and community outreach, including education on health issues which are more prevalent in Asians, including diabetes, hepatitis B, fatty liver and cancer.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one focus of the Center for Asian Health’s outreach efforts. “One out of 10 Asians has HBV, and it is often a lifelong disease that can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer,” states Dr. Wang. “Most people are asymptomatic, with only one-third aware they are infected. Fortunately, it is now preventable through effective vaccines, treatments, screenings and early diagnosis.
For more information about Dr. Wang, The Center for Asian Health or to inquire about hepatitis B screenings, please call 973-261-9077.
Contact: Lina Allocca, Marketing/Public Relations Director
Phone: 973-322-4393