[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 23, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 32949-32950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11054]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 99 / Tuesday, May 23, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 32949]]

                Proclamation 10581 of May 18, 2023

                
National Hepatitis Testing Day, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Thousands of Americans die every year of viral 
                hepatitis--infections of the liver that can be managed 
                or cured if patients know they are infected and can get 
                treatment. On National Hepatitis Testing Day, we urge 
                Americans to get tested and recommit to ensuring that 
                those who are diagnosed can receive lifesaving care.

                Viral hepatitis is a hidden epidemic. For those with 
                hepatitis C, which spreads through contact with 
                infected blood and is the most common strain, it can be 
                years between the time someone is infected and when 
                they first present symptoms, leaving far too many 
                unaware that they are sick. This can further spread the 
                virus, delay treatment, and lead to serious liver 
                disease--including cirrhosis, liver failure, liver 
                cancer, and even death. Pregnant women with untreated 
                hepatitis C can also pass the virus on to their 
                newborns. It disproportionately affects Black Americans 
                and Native Americans, who too often cannot access 
                quality health care, and it is more common among those 
                experiencing homelessness and those who are 
                incarcerated as more than a third of people in a jail 
                or prison can be positive at a given time. The good 
                news is that we now have a cure for hepatitis C that is 
                95 percent effective--but its high cost, among other 
                factors, has kept it from many of the more than 2 
                million Americans in need.

                My new Budget includes a bold plan to change that this 
                decade--ending hepatitis C as a public health threat by 
                expanding testing, slashing the high cost of treatment, 
                and promoting awareness of the risks and the cure. It 
                draws on work that the Department of Veterans Affairs 
                has done in treating more than 100,000 affected 
                veterans since 2014. My plan would make testing quicker 
                and simpler with more point-of-care diagnostic tests so 
                patients can be tested and treated in a single visit, 
                rather than having to return several times before 
                determining their infection status. It would pioneer 
                innovative approaches to treating hepatitis C, 
                including a national antiviral subscription model, so 
                more Americans can get affordable care and taxpayers 
                can save billions of dollars through prevention and the 
                reduced need for treatment of advanced liver diseases. 
                My plan would also support grassroots public health 
                groups; train more health care professionals; and 
                expand mobile, telehealth, and community sites focused 
                on hepatitis testing and care. And it would boost 
                progress toward a hepatitis C vaccine.

                We are also taking steps to prevent hepatitis B--the 
                second most common strain of the virus among adults, 
                which can lead to premature death in 15 to 25 percent 
                of cases. We are fortunate to already have a hepatitis 
                B vaccine; it has been widely recommended for children 
                for over 30 years, and the Centers for Disease Control 
                and Prevention now urges all adults under 60 to be 
                screened and vaccinated too. This is especially 
                important among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and 
                Pacific Islander communities, who account for almost 60 
                percent of chronic hepatitis B cases in this country.

                Working to beat hepatitis is something that all 
                Americans can agree is important. It is within our 
                power to save tens of thousands of lives and billions 
                of dollars in health care costs, and by reducing liver 
                cancer, these

[[Page 32950]]

                steps will also bring us closer to meeting our moonshot 
                goal of ending cancer as we know it, achieving one of 
                the greatest public health victories of all time. Every 
                American can do their part--ask your health care 
                provider about getting tested for hepatitis B and C and 
                about being vaccinated for hepatitis B if you have not 
                yet done so. And ask the Congress to back our push to 
                eliminate the threat of viral hepatitis from the United 
                States for good.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 19, 2023, 
                as National Hepatitis Testing Day. I encourage all 
                Americans to join in activities that will increase 
                awareness about viral hepatitis and what we can do to 
                prevent and treat it.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-11054
Filed 5-22-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P