[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 58 (Friday, May 12, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E823]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CHRONIC HEPATITIS B NEEDS PRIORITIZATION AS A SERIOUS HEALTH CONCERN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 11, 2006

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank my colleagues for 
sending so many staff members to today's ``AIM for the B'' briefing 
designed to elevate awareness of chronic hepatitis B, a serious health 
issue in the United States. This briefing emphasized the importance of 
increasing diagnosis, screening, and treatment, particularly for Asian 
Pacific Islander Americans who are disproportionately affected with the 
disease.
  I joined my colleague, Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, and 
representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), patient advocacy 
organizations, physicians, and patients to convey the potential 
consequences of chronic hepatitis B and to layout actions needed to 
increase awareness and address the continued progression of this 
infectious disease.
  Rep. Dent and I have introduced H.R. 4550, the National Hepatitis B 
Act, which would authorize additional resources to more effectively 
research, track, diagnose, treat and manage chronic hepatitis B. I urge 
my colleagues to recognize chronic hepatitis B as a potentially life-
threatening disease and to help us enact this bill in the 109th 
Congress. Together, we can make a difference in addressing this 
national and global public health Issue.
  We are extremely fortunate to have vaccines and treatments available 
that were not available 25 years ago. With treatment, patients have a 
better chance at beating this disease and preventing its progression to 
liver disease. However, there is much work that remains to be done. We 
need to increase public education about chronic hepatitis B and its 
relation to liver disease, help infected patients and their physicians 
identify and manage this disease, and work to increase the length and 
quality of life for patients chronically infected with chronic 
hepatitis B. Unfortunately, vaccination rates remain low and the 
hepatitis B virus continues to be one of the most commonly reported 
vaccine preventable diseases in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American 
Caucus, I am especially concerned about the tremendous impact that 
chronic hepatitis B has on the Asian Pacific Islander American 
community. As many as 1 in 10 Asian Pacific Islander Americans have 
chronic hepatitis B.
  Today's ``AIM for the B'' briefing and next week's National Hepatitis 
B Awareness Week events in California and New York are encouraging 
steps in the right direction. We have the ability to stop the spread 
and progression of this disease and it is the responsibility to help 
our constituents affected by chronic hepatitis B.

                          ____________________