,,iii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #bcc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bh1
 #bjae ,ms4 ,hirono 7for herself1 ,mr4  
,schumer1 and ,mr4 ,schatz7 submitted   
the following resolution2 which was     
referred to the ,committee on ,health1  
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions       
,,resolution  ,recognizing ,july #bh1   
#bjae1 as ,world ,hepatitis ,day4       
,whereas hepatitis ,b and hepatitis ,c1 
and the incidence of liver disease      
caused by these viruses1 have become    
urgent problems of a global proportion2 
,whereas an estimated #cej1jjj1jjj      
people worldwide live with chronic      
hepatitis ,b1 and an estimated #ghj1jjj 
people worldwide die each year due to   
hepatitis ,b2 ,whereas an estimated     
#aej1jjj1jjj people worldwide are       
chronically infected with hepatitis ,c1 
and an estimated #ejj1jjj people        
worldwide die each year due to a        
liver-related illness caused by         
hepatitis ,c2 ,whereas an estimated     

#a1jjj1jjj people worldwide die each    
year due to liver failure or primary    
liver cancer resulting from a chronic   
infection of hepatitis2 ,whereas an     
estimated #e1cjj1jjj people in the      
,united ,states are infected with either
 hepatitis ,b or hepatitis ,c1 including
 #a1djj1jjj people who are chronically  
infected with hepatitis ,b and          
#b1gjj1jjj people who are chronically   
infected with hepatitis ,c2 ,whereas the
 ,centers for ,disease ,control and     
,prevention 7referred to in this        
preamble as ,,cdc7 estimated that there 
were #ai1gfd new hepatitis ,b infections
 and #bi1gah new hepatitis ,c           
infections1 respectively1 in the ,united
 ,states in #bjac2 ,whereas the ,,cdc   
has found significant increases in the  
transmission of new hepatitis cases in  
the ,united ,states since #bjaj1        
including a #aea percent increase       
between #bjaj and #bjac in new          
transmissions of hepatitis ,c in the    
,united ,states2 ,whereas chronic viral 

hepatitis claims thousands of lives each
 year in the ,united ,states1 with      
#ai1cfh deaths due to hepatitis ,c in   
the ,united ,states in #bjac2 ,whereas1 
in #bjad1 #d1ejj1jjj1jjj in ,medicare   
funds were spent on hepatitis ,c        
treatments2 ,whereas a person who has   
become chronically infected with        
hepatitis ,b or hepatitis ,c may not    
have symptoms for up to #dj years after 
the initial infection occurred2 ,whereas
 ,african-,americans1 ,asian ,americans1
 ,pacific ,islanders1 ,latinos1 ,native 
,americans1 ,alaska ,natives1 gay and   
bisexual men1 and persons who inject    
drugs intravenously all have higher     
rates of chronic viral hepatitis        
infections in the ,united ,states than  
other groups of people2 ,whereas ,asian 
,americans and ,pacific ,islanders bear 
the greatest burden of hepatitis ,b     
related deaths in the ,united ,states2  
,whereas hepatitis ,c is #aj times more 
infectious than human immunodeficiency  
virus 7referred to in this preamble as  

,,hiv72 ,whereas hepatitis ,b is #ej to 
#ajj times more infectious than ,,hiv2  
,whereas an estimated #be percent of    
people who live in the ,united ,states  
and are infected with ,,hiv are also    
infected with hepatitis ,c2 ,whereas    
life expectancies for persons infected  
with ,,hiv have increased with          
antiretroviral treatment1 and liver     
disease1 much of which is related to    
hepatitis ,b and hepatitis ,c           
infections1 has become the most common  
cause of death among this population    
that is not related to acquired immune  
deficiency syndrome2 ,whereas1 despite  
the fact that chronic viral hepatitis is
 the most common blood-borne infection  
in the ,united ,states1 #fe percent of  
people living with hepatitis ,b and an  
estimated #ge percent of people living  
with hepatitis ,c are unaware of their  
infection2 ,whereas hepatitis ,b is     
preventable through vaccination1 and    
both hepatitis ,b and hepatitis ,c are  
preventable with proper public health   

interventions1 including programs that  
offer access to sterile injection       
equipment for people who inject drugs   
intravenously2 ,whereas effective and   
safe treatment is available for people  
living with hepatitis ,b and hepatitis  
,c1 including new curative treatments   
for hepatitis ,c2 and ,whereas the goals
 of ,world ,hepatitis ,day on ,july #bh1
 #bjae1 are to-- 7#a7 highlight the     
global nature of chronic viral hepatitis
 epidemics2  7#b7 recognize that        
hepatitis can be prevented and          
eliminated in part through a            
comprehensive public education and      
awareness campaign designed to identify 
those at risk for1 and living with1     
hepatitis2  7#c7 inform patients about  
new treatments that are available for   
hepatitis2 and  7#d7 help increase the  
length and quality of life for people   
diagnosed with chronic hepatitis ,b and 
hepatitis ,c infections3 ,now1          
therefore1 be it  ,that the ,senate--   
7#a7 recognizes ,july #bh1 #bjae1 as    

,world ,hepatitis ,day2  7#b7 supports  
broad access to hepatitis ,b and        
hepatitis ,c treatments2  7#c7 supports 
raising awareness of the risks and      
consequences of undiagnosed chronic     
hepatitis ,b and hepatitis ,c           
infections2 and  7#d7 calls for a robust
 governmental and public health response
 to protect the health of the           
approximately #e1jjj1jjj people in the  
,united ,states and #djj1jjj1jjj people 
worldwide who suffer from chronic viral 
hepatitis4