Midwest Asian Health Association Recognizes College of Pharmacy

Midwest Asian Health Association Recognizes College of Pharmacy

The Midwest Asian Health Association (MAHA) will honor the Chicago State University College of Pharmacy's student Asian Pharmacists Association for excellence in community services at its annual fundraising event entitled: "Love your Liver and B a Hero." This yearly event aims at raising public awareness about the hepatitis B issues in the Asian community.

Hepatitis B is a serious global health problem that affects Asians disproportionately. Chronically infected persons are at high risk for cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure all of which kill about 1 million people each year. More than half of the estimated 1.4 to 2 million people infected with hepatitis B in the U.S. are Asian American. In fact, Asian Americans are nearly three times more likely to develop liver cancer than Americans of non-Asian descent.

Midwest Asian Health Association Recognizes College of Pharmacy

The Chicago State University College of Pharmacy's Student Asian Pharmacists Association, under the mentorship of Cindy A. Arocena, PharmD, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice and Abir El-Alfy, MS, PhD, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences will be honored along with the Honorable Illinois Secretary of State, Mr. Jesse White, the Asian Healthcare Association-Midwestern University, and the Hepatitis B Alliance of Chicago-Northwestern University School of Medicine.

The collaboration with MAHA was initiated and maintained by third-year student pharmacist Bernice Man, student Asian Pharmacists Association's clinical committee chair, and Peter Gao, an active member of the organization.

The "Love your Liver and B a Hero" event will take place on November 10 at Cai Restaurant located in Chinatown from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. MAHA is a non-profit community based organization with a mission to reduce health disparities in Asian populations.