[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8696 of July 27, 2011

World Hepatitis Day, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Across our Nation, millions of Americans are living with viral
hepatitis. As many as three-fourths of Americans living with the disease
are unaware of their status and are not receiving care and treatment for
their condition. Raising awareness about hepatitis is crucial to
effectively fight stigmas, stem the tide of new infections, and ensure
treatment reaches those who need it. On World Hepatitis Day, we join
with people across our country and around the globe in promoting
strategies that will help save lives and prevent the spread of viral
hepatitis.
Viral hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, and can cause a lifetime
of health issues for people who contract it. Hepatitis B and C viruses
are the cause of a growing number of new liver cancer cases and liver
transplants. In the United States, hepatitis is a leading infectious
cause of death, claiming the lives of thousands of Americans each year.
While we have come far, work still needs to be done to prevent and treat
this disease.
Viral hepatitis touches Americans of all backgrounds, but certain groups
are at greater risk than others. Past recipients of donated blood,
infants born to mothers infected with viral hepatitis, and persons with
sexually transmitted diseases or behaviors such as injection-drug use

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have risks for viral hepatitis. Baby boomers and African Americans have
higher rates than others of contracting hepatitis C. Half of all
Americans living with hepatitis B today are of Asian American and
Pacific Islander descent, and one-third of people living with HIV also
have either hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Worldwide, one in twelve people
is living with viral hepatitis.
We must make sure that this ``silent epidemic'' does not go unnoticed by
health professionals or by communities across our country. Under the
Affordable Care Act, services including hepatitis immunizations for
adults and hepatitis screenings for pregnant women are fully covered by
all new insurance plans. My Administration has also released a
comprehensive Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of
Viral Hepatitis. The plan brings together expertise and tools across
government to coordinate our fight against this deadly disease. Our goal
is to reduce the number of new infections, increase status awareness
among people with hepatitis, and eliminate the transmission of hepatitis
B from mothers to their children.
The first step toward achieving these goals is raising public awareness
of this life-threatening disease. We must work to reduce the stigma
surrounding hepatitis, and to ensure that testing, information,
counseling, and treatment are available to all who need it. The hard
work and dedication of health-care professionals, researchers, and
advocates will help bring us closer to this goal. On this day, we renew
our support for those living with hepatitis, and for their families,
friends, and communities who are working to create a brighter, healthier
future.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 July 28, 2011, as
World Hepatitis Day. I encourage citizens, Government agencies,
nonprofit organizations, and communities across the Nation to join in
activities that will increase awareness about hepatitis and what we can
do to prevent it.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day
of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.
BARACK OBAMA