CC Kuo’s story of living with hepatitis B in Taiwan

CC discovered he had Hepatitis B in high school during a blood donation. His hepatitis B was due to mother-to-child vertical transmission. Despite routine health check-ups, CC experienced an episode of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) at the age of 48. He was hospitalized for a month and luckily recovered. Despite the acute nature of his severe hepatitis, CC wasn't able to get immediate antiviral treatment at a local hospital due to policy restrictions on prescription eligibility to specialists. CC urges the government and policy makers to relax treatment guidelines for hepatitis B and emphasize that antiviral treatment not only controls the virus but also lowers the risk of liver cancer, one of the leading cause of cancer death in Taiwan. 

Producer: Jacki Chen

Interviewers: Jacki Chen, Rhea Racho

Sponsor: Hepatitis B Foundation (USA)

Organizer: Taiwan Hepatitis Information & Care Association (THICA)

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Storyteller CC Kuo in Action

CC Kuo’s Interview with Jacki Chen (THICA and #justB storyteller)

CC discovered he had Hepatitis B in high school during a blood donation. His hepatitis B was due to mother-to-child vertical transmission. Despite routine health check-ups, CC experienced an episode of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) at the age of 48. He was hospitalized for a month and luckily recovered. Despite the acute nature of his severe hepatitis, CC wasn't able to get immediate antiviral treatment at a local hospital due to policy restriction on prescription eligibility to specialists. CC urges the government and policy makers to relax treatment guideline for hepatitis B and emphasize that antiviral treatment not only control the virus but also lower the risk of liver cancer, one of the leading cause of cancer death in Taiwan.