[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 176 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 176

      Commending the progress made by anti-tuberculosis programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 2011

   Mr. Engel (for himself, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. 
Hinchey, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Mrs. Maloney, 
  Mr. Meeks, Mr. Rangel, Ms. Schakowsky, and Mr. Towns) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
      Commending the progress made by anti-tuberculosis programs.

Whereas tuberculosis (hereafter in this preamble referred to as ``TB'') is the 
        second leading fatal global infectious disease behind HIV/AIDS, claiming 
        1,700,000 lives each year;
Whereas the global TB pandemic and the spread of drug resistant TB present a 
        persistent public health threat to the United States;
Whereas according to 2009 data of the World Health Organization, 5 percent of 
        all new TB cases are drug resistant;
Whereas TB is the leading killer of people with HIV/AIDS in the developing 
        world;
Whereas TB is the third leading killer of adult women, and the stigma associated 
        with TB disproportionately affects women, causing them to delay seeking 
        care and interfering with treatment adherence;
Whereas the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found that the resurgence of TB in the 
        U.S. between 1985 and 1992 was caused by cuts in TB control funding and 
        the spread of HIV/AIDS;
Whereas, although the numbers of TB cases in the United States continue to 
        decline, progress towards TB elimination has slowed, and it is a disease 
        that does not recognize borders;
Whereas New York City had to spend over $1,000,000,000 to control a multi-drug 
        resistant TB outbreak between 1989 and 1993;
Whereas an extensively drug resistant form of TB, known as XDR-TB (hereafter 
        referred to in this preamble as ``XDR-TB''), is very difficult and 
        expensive to treat and has high and rapid fatality rates, especially 
        among HIV/AIDS patients;
Whereas the United States has had more than 83 cases of XDR-TB over the last 
        decade;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in 2009 that it 
        costs $483,000 to treat a single case of XDR-TB;
Whereas African-Americans are 8 times more likely to have TB than Caucasians, 
        and significant disparities exist among other United States minorities, 
        including Native Americans, Asian-Americans, and Hispanic-Americans;
Whereas, although drugs, diagnostics and vaccines for TB exist, these 
        technologies are antiquated and are increasingly inadequate for 
        controlling the global epidemic;
Whereas the most commonly used TB diagnostic in the world, sputum microscopy, is 
        more than 100 years old and lacks sensitivity to detect TB in most HIV/
        AIDS patients and in children;
Whereas current tests to detect drug resistance take at least 1 month to 
        complete and faster drug susceptibility tests must be developed to stop 
        the spread of drug resistant TB;
Whereas the TB vaccine, BCG, provides some protection to children, but has 
        little or no efficacy in preventing pulmonary TB in adults;
Whereas there is also a critical need for new TB drugs that can safely be taken 
        concurrently with antiretroviral therapy for HIV;
Whereas enactment of the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global 
        Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization 
        Act of 2008 and the Comprehensive TB Elimination Act provide an historic 
        United States commitment to the global eradication of TB, including to 
        the successful treatment of 4,500,000 new TB patients and 90,000 new 
        multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB cases by 2013, while providing additional 
        treatment through coordinated multilateral efforts;
Whereas the United States Agency for International Development provides 
        financial and technical assistance to nearly 40 highly-burdened TB 
        countries and supports the development of new diagnostic and treatment 
        tools, and is authorized to support research to develop new vaccines to 
        combat TB;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, working in partnership 
        with States and territories of the United States, directs the national 
        TB elimination program and essential national TB surveillance, technical 
        assistance, prevention activities and supports the development of new 
        diagnostic, treatment and prevention tools to combat TB;
Whereas the National Institutes of Health, through its many institutes and 
        centers, plays the leading role in basic and clinical research into the 
        identification, treatment and prevention of TB;
Whereas the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria provides two-
        thirds of all international financing for TB programs worldwide and has 
        supported the detection and treatment of 7,700,000 cases of TB; and
Whereas March 24, 2011, is World Tuberculosis Day, a day that commemorates the 
        date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of 
        Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals of World TB Day to raise awareness 
        about tuberculosis;
            (2) commends the progress made by United States-led anti-
        tuberculosis programs; and
            (3) reaffirms its commitment to global tuberculosis control 
        made through the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States 
        Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria 
        Reauthorization Act of 2008.
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