Anna Lok, M.D., professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, was honored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CDC Foundation and the Viral Hepatitis Action Coalition (VHAC) for her efforts to combat viral hepatitis.
The organizations honored health leaders during a reception in Washington, D.C., in advance of World Hepatitis Day. Often called a “silent epidemic” because it affects the health of millions of people without their knowledge, viral hepatitis is an under-recognized health problem in this country and throughout the world.
Lok, a hepatologist and world-renowned expert on hepatitis, partnered with Joan Block, executive director of the Hepatitis B Foundation, to raise awareness about student dismissals from or denials of admission to medical/dental schools solely because they suffer from chronic hepatitis B infections.
“As a result, CDC published a new policy that formed the basis for a policy statement by three government agencies. A remarkable achievement,” says John Ward, M.D., director of CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis.