[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 505 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 505

         Recognizing July 28, 2019, as ``World Hepatitis Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 18, 2019

    Ms. Meng (for herself and Mr. Johnson of Georgia) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
         Recognizing July 28, 2019, as ``World Hepatitis Day''.

Whereas hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and the incidence of liver disease caused 
        by these viruses, have become urgent problems of global proportion;
Whereas an estimated 1,340,000 people worldwide die each year due to hepatitis;
Whereas an estimated 257,000,000 people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis B, 
        and an estimated 884,000 people worldwide die each year mostly due to a 
        liver-related illness caused by hepatitis B;
Whereas an estimated 71,000,000 people worldwide are chronically infected with 
        hepatitis C, and an estimated 399,000 people worldwide die each year due 
        to a liver-related illness caused by hepatitis C;
Whereas in the United States, up to an estimated 5,700,000 people are infected 
        with either hepatitis B or hepatitis C, including up to an estimated 
        2,200,000 chronically infected with hepatitis B and up to an estimated 
        3,500,000 chronically infected with hepatitis C;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 
        there were 20,900 new acute hepatitis B infections and 41,200 new acute 
        hepatitis C infections in the United States in 2016;
Whereas the CDC has found significant increases in the transmission of new 
        hepatitis cases in the United States since 2010, including a 3.5-fold 
        increase between 2010 and 2016 in reported cases of acute hepatitis C in 
        the United States;
Whereas chronic viral hepatitis claims thousands of lives each year in the 
        United States, with an estimated 18,153 deaths due to hepatitis C in the 
        United States in 2016;
Whereas between 2015 and 2020, United States taxpayers will spend an estimated 
        $136,000,000,000 on hepatitis C drugs and approximately 45 percent of 
        which will come from the Government;
Whereas up to an estimated 80 percent of people with acute hepatitis C do not 
        have any symptoms;
Whereas African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, Latinos, Native 
        Americans, Alaska Natives, gay and bisexual men, and persons who inject 
        drugs intravenously all have higher rates of chronic viral hepatitis 
        infections in the United States than other groups of people;
Whereas Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders bear the greatest burden of 
        hepatitis B-related deaths in the United States;
Whereas hepatitis C is 10 times more infectious than human immunodeficiency 
        virus (HIV);
Whereas hepatitis B is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV;
Whereas an estimated 33 percent of people who live in the United States and are 
        infected with HIV are also infected with hepatitis B or C;
Whereas life expectancies for persons infected with HIV have increased with 
        antiretroviral treatment, and liver disease, much of which is related to 
        hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections, has become the most common cause 
        of death among this population that is not related to acquired immune 
        deficiency syndrome;
Whereas despite the fact that chronic viral hepatitis is the most common blood-
        borne infection in the United States, over half of people living with 
        hepatitis B and hepatitis C are unaware of their infection;
Whereas hepatitis B is preventable through vaccination, and both hepatitis B and 
        hepatitis C are preventable with proper public health interventions, 
        including programs that offer access to sterile injection equipment for 
        people who inject drugs intravenously; and
Whereas the goals of ``World Hepatitis Day'' on July 28, 2019, are to--

    (1) highlight the global nature of chronic viral hepatitis epidemics;

    (2) recognize that hepatitis can be prevented and eliminated in part 
through a comprehensive public education and awareness campaign designed to 
identify those at risk for, and living with, hepatitis;

    (3) inform patients about new treatments that are available for 
hepatitis; and

    (4) help increase the length and quality of life for people diagnosed 
with chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports broad access to hepatitis B and hepatitis C 
        treatments;
            (2) supports raising awareness of the risks and 
        consequences of undiagnosed chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C 
        infections;
            (3) calls for a robust governmental and public health 
        response to protect the health of the approximately 5,700,000 
        people in the United States who are infected with hepatitis B 
        or C; and
            (4) urges the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to 
        partner with State and local health departments to develop 
        strategies to increase the rate of hepatitis B adult 
        vaccination and hepatitis C treatment to the levels necessary 
        to eliminate new infections in the United States.
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