[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 594 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 594

      Commending the progress made by anti-tuberculosis programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 22, 2012

 Mr. Engel (for himself, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. Young of Alaska, 
Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Towns, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Smith of 
 Washington, Ms. Schakowsky, and Mrs. Maloney) 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 (TB) is the second leading fatal global infectious disease 
        behind HIV/AIDS, claiming 1,400,000 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 2010 data of the World Health Organization, over 7 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 an under-recognized problem in children that can have devastating 
        long-term health effects including deafness, blindness, and paralysis, 
        even after cure;
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 
        United States 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 a new strain of drug resistant TB, known as XDR-TB, has emerged that is 
        resistant to all TB drugs and has high and rapid fatality rates;
Whereas the United States has had more than 28 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 there have been no new TB drugs introduced in over 40 years;
Whereas current tests to detect drug resistance take at least a 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 provided a 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, and 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 over 
        two-thirds of all international financing for TB programs worldwide and 
        has supported the detection and treatment of 8,600,000 cases of TB;
Whereas nearly half of the total number of lives saved by the Global Fund to 
        Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria have been saved through its 
        support for TB programs; and
Whereas March 24, 2012, 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.
                                 <all>