[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 58 (Thursday, May 5, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H3028-H3029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SUPPORTING GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL HEPATITIS B AWARENESS WEEK

  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce be

[[Page H3029]]

discharged from further consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 250) 
supporting the goals and ideals of National Hepatitis B Awareness Week, 
and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution as follows:

                              H. Res. 250

       Whereas hepatitis B is the most common serious liver 
     infection in the world;
       Whereas chronic hepatitis B infections cause 80 percent of 
     all primary liver cancer cases worldwide;
       Whereas 10,000,000 to 30,000,000 people will be infected 
     with the hepatitis B virus worldwide in 2005;
       Whereas approximately 100,000 people in the United States 
     will become infected with hepatitis B virus this year alone;
       Whereas fewer than 10 percent of diagnosed chronic 
     hepatitis B patients in the United States are currently 
     receiving treatment for their disease;
       Whereas healthcare and work loss costs from liver disease 
     and liver cancer-caused hepatitis B infections total more 
     than $700,000,000 annually;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     (``CDC'') estimates that 1,250,000 Americans are already 
     infected with hepatitis B and nearly 6,000 will die of liver 
     complications each year;
       Whereas a person who has become infected with hepatitis B 
     may not have symptoms for up to 40 years after the initial 
     infection has occurred, and there is currently no routine 
     screening in place for early detection;
       Whereas the CDC has identified African-Americans, Asian-
     Americans, and Pacific Islanders, as well as Native Americans 
     and Alaskan Natives, as having higher rates of hepatitis B 
     infection in the United States;
       Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders account for 
     more than half of the chronic hepatitis B cases and half of 
     the deaths resulting from chronic hepatitis B infection in 
     the United States;
       Whereas there is a need for a comprehensive public 
     education and awareness campaign designed to help infected 
     patients and their physicians identify and manage the 
     secondary prevention of the disease and to help increase the 
     length and quality of life for those diagnosed with chronic 
     hepatitis B; and
       Whereas the week of May 9, 2005, would be an appropriate 
     week to observe National Hepatitis B Awareness Week: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Hepatitis B 
     Awareness Week;
       (2) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
     the week with appropriate programs and activities; and
       (3) supports raising awareness of the consequences of 
     untreated chronic hepatitis B and the urgency to seek 
     appropriate care as a serious public health issue.

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 250, a 
resolution that recognizes the goals and ideals of the week of May 9th 
as National Hepatitis B Awareness Week.
  I first want to thank Mr. Murphy for his leadership on this 
resolution.
  During the week of May 9, health advocates from around the country 
will be putting on a national media campaign, ``Aim for the B,'' to 
raise awareness about the disease and to educate the community about 
prevention through testing and vaccination.
  Mr. Speaker, the numbers are startling. In the United States, 12 
million people (1 out of 20) have been infected at some time in their 
lives with the hepatitis B virus, more than one million people in the 
U.S. have developed chronic hepatitis B infection, and more than 5,000 
Americans die from hepatitis B-related liver complications each year.
  Chronic hepatitis B is often called a ``silent disease'' because more 
than two-thirds of the 12 million Americans infected with hepatitis B 
have no recognized symptoms. Of those who are diagnosed, fewer than ten 
percent seek long-term medical care that could allow more hepatitis 
patients to lead long and healthy lives. Those who do not receive 
treatment often suffer cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and liver 
cancer.
  Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) are particularly susceptible 
to this disease--as many as 1 out of 10 APIAs are chronically infected 
with the hepatitis B virus. Accordingly, liver cancer rates among males 
are 13 times higher among Vietnamese Americans, eight times higher 
among Korean Americans, and six times higher among Chinese Americans 
than among the general population.
  The most common route of infection among APIAs is through mother-to-
child transmission. In the United States, APIA children were found to 
have low vaccination rates despite national vaccination guidelines and 
availability. Many children worldwide remain unvaccinated and may 
become chronically infected as adults. Furthermore, the incidence of 
liver cancer among APIA ethnic groups is 1.7 to 11.3 times higher than 
rates among Caucasian Americans.
  Hepatitis B is extremely infectious. In fact, the disease is 100 
times more infectious than HIV. Most healthy adults (90 percent) who 
are infected will recover and develop protective antibodies against 
future hepatitis B infections. A small number (5 to 10 percent) will be 
unable to get rid of the virus and will develop chronic infection.
  Mr. Speaker, as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American 
Caucus, I want to say it loud and clear so that there is no 
misunderstanding. Hepatitis B is a public health emergency for Asian 
Pacific Islander Americans.
  We need to break the silence and bring awareness to our community 
about this disease. Hepatitis B diagnosis does not have to be a death 
sentence. The weapons to combat this disease are available, including 
vaccination, early diagnosis and treatments. During National Hepatitis 
B Awareness Week, events will be held across the United States to raise 
awareness about hepatitis B, educate sufferers and their physicians 
about improved methods of treatment and prevention, and open the 
dialogue within communities to stop the transmission of this virus.
  Recognizing the goals of National Hepatitis B Awareness Week is an 
important step in efforts to increase awareness about this deadly 
virus. This resolution also seeks to honor those in the community and 
in medicine who seek to prevent additional cases of hepatitis B and 
improve the quality of life for those who have already contracted it.
  We all have constituents affected by this disease, so let us come 
together and support a comprehensive response and spread awareness on 
prevention.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and all of the events 
during National Hepatitis B Awareness Week.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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