Humberto Silva

Humberto Coelho Neto e Silva (Santo André, 17 February 1965) is humanitarian leader in the global fight against Hepatitis. He is a marketing professional and a director of various philanthropic foundations.
He is the creator of the Hepatitis Zero project, that aims to mobilize more than two hundred countries around the world to the detection, treatment, vaccination and prevention of Hepatitis.
He is the President of the R.A.G (Rotary Action Group) that is in formation to fight against Viral Hepatitis.
This project targets the global eradication of all forms of Viral Hepatitis.
Mr Silva is also the author of the book "Hepatitis Zero", that is being published in various languages and gives the background on this project and details its objectives for eliminating Hepatitis globally.
History
Humberto discovered that he was contaminated with the HCV virus in 2010, when he was making preparations for a journey to South Africa, where he was going to watch the Soccer World Cup. As he intended to visit various African countries as part of his humanitarian work with children affected by cancer, he decided to get vaccinated. The infectologist that treated him asked him to get some blood exams, including for Hepatitis C. After taking the exam, to his surprise, he discovered he had Hepatitis C. As a consequence he had the Biopsy where he found he had Cirrhosis. It was established that he had been infected for many years, probably over thirty, without ever having had any symptoms.
Upon his return from Africa Humberto researched into everything about Hepatitis, principally C, to the point of becoming an "expert" on the theme. He inititiated a series of congresses in his country and abroad.
Perplexed by the fact that he had never felt any symptoms, yet his liver was already severely afftected and he was already with advanced Cirrhosis,Humberto found out that there were three million Brazilians infected without their being aware. Worldwide there are about half a billion people with Hepatitis B and C.
Promess
Humberto thus concluded that, as he had been a victim of the disease and found a way to his cure, he had received a mission from God. As a thanks for the fact that he had discovered his illness by chance, and had the opportunity to be treated and cured, he made a vow to work as long as he had strength in his body, for free, to help those in need and to try to change the way the world treats the disease.
The Brazilian Association of Hepatitis Patients
As he was unable to conform to the unfair and inhumane manner in which the disease was treated by the health authorities, he founded the biggest Hepatitis NGO in Brazil, the ABPH, that has as its great mission the discovery of those infected and enabling their access to treatment and a cure.
FREE CLINICS
Humberto founded a clinic that offers consultations with renowned Hepatologists and has a modern machine called Fibroscan that is still quite unknown to most Brazilians and that is unavailable in the public health system. Private hospitals and clinics do offer it, but at prices inaccessible to most Brazilians. The clinic provides Hepatitis patients a treatment completely free of charge, including consultations and exams.
Quickly the clinic became a success among the patients, whom Humberto refers to as his
"Hepbrothers and sisters", so he decided to open more. Today the ABPH has free clinics in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Fortaleza and Belo Horizonte.
The World Hepatitis Fund
With the aim of extending his work to the rest of the world, Humberto founded, in New York, on 17 June 2013, the World Hepatitis Fund, the launch of which took place at the United Nations, during an interview at Radio UN.
Treatment and Cure
His treatment involved the use of Interferon and Ribavirina, the only medicines available at that time (2011 to 2013). This entailed a weekly injection in the stomach and brought various side effects such as trembling, mood swings, lack of air, coughing, anaemia, loss of weight, canker sores, low platelet count etc., Humberto managed to get cure after two years of treatment.
HEPATITIS ZERO PROJECT
The creator of one of the most daring humanitarian projects in history, Humberto took his dream to Rotary International, showing the Rotarians, in various parts of the world, the gravity of the situation with Hepatitis, diseases that kill per year, around 14 million people.
The Project
The project intends to save from their ignorance of the distasse the half a billion people in all nations, through testing, treatment and new public policies.
Pilgrimage
Helped by the fact that he speaks 6 languages, Humberto has visited ninety six countries around the world and today he is still working to attract more allies and initiate even more campaigns for his battle against Hepatitis.
Testing Millions of People
OHis biggest desire is to discover those infected, breaking the silence and the taboos that leave the disease hidden out of public sight. To this end his campaigns have conducted millions of free tests in public spaces and detected thousands of people who are contaminated. As a result, each person diagnosed has the opportunity to get treated, cured and save their life.
Back-ground
Before he was infected with the disease Humberto was already working with philanthropy. He is also an owner of a marketing group.
CHILDREN'S CANCER CLINIC
Humberto founed the Children' s Assistance Fund (FAC) in 2001. It is an plhilanthropic foundation that maintains various support houses (where a child with cancer and one parent can stay) in 15 Brazilian states.
FAC greatest feat to date has been the construction of its free clinic, also known as "Humberto's House" that cares for children with cancer, providing medical services from oncologists, haematologists, dentists, psychologists, nutritionists etc., plus offering a wide range of treatments including chemotherapy.
Opening the English football market
Another important part of his life was his opening of the English football market for Brazilians, having negotiated the deal that took the first Brazilian footballer to play in the top league there; Mirandinha sold by Palmeiras to Newcastle United in 1987. Up until then there had been a certain rejection to Brazilian players, there was a belief that they did not have the strength and stamina necessary to face the hard English championship.
Humberto, who at the time was only 22 years old, worked in the then English First Division (equivalent to today's Premier League) for six months at Newcastle United FC.

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