[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 4, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E874]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING NATIONAL HEPATITIS B AWARENESS WEEK

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 4, 2005

  Mr. TOWNS.  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for House 
Resolution 250, Supporting the Goals and Ideals of a National Hepatitis 
B Awareness Month. Hepatitis B is a serious health concern that 
unfairly attacks minority populations.
  Almost 350 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis B, 
with 75 percent of those infected living in Asia. This disease has 
similar effects on the same groups of people here in the United States. 
Asians have the highest rate of chronic hepatitis B of all ethnic 
groups. Chronic hepatitis B rates for the Asian Pacific Islanders 
population range up to 15 percent, which is more than half of all the 
Americans diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B.
  African Americans are three to four times more likely than Caucasians 
to be infected with hepatitis B. Additionally, the African American 
workforce, consisting of over 3 million people, tend to work in 
occupations, such as nursing, health care and emergency services with 
higher exposure to the hepatitis B virus.
  Over half the United States' total Asian American population lives in 
just three states, with 1.2 million living in New York. Seventeen 
percent of New York's population is of African-American descent.
  The hepatitis disease is extremely dangerous, because not only does 
it lead to life-threatening illnesses such as cirrhosis of the liver 
and liver cancer but it can also be easily transmitted through blood 
and body fluids, unprotected sex, and unsterilized needles. Also, many 
of those who have become infected with the disease will not have 
recognized symptoms until they develop the more serious illnesses.
  Hepatitis B can be a preventable disease if vaccination programs, 
increased awareness, better disease management and public education 
initiatives are ongoing. By recognizing the week of May 9th as National 
Hepatitis B Awareness Week, we can join together and attack this life-
threatening disease. During Hepatitis B Awareness Week, several 
community events are scheduled that will bring together physicians and 
public health advocates, patients and at-risk populations to increase 
awareness and education on prevention, and treatments for hepatitis B.
  Mr. Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to lend my support for 
passage of this resolution and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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