,,iv  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #cb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of 
,,representatives  ,january #f1 #bjag   
,ms4 ,meng submitted the following      
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce     
,,resolution  ,recognizing ,july #bh1   
#bjag1 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 #a1djj1jjj people 
worldwide die each year due to          
hepatitis2 ,whereas an estimated        
#bdj1jjj1jjj people worldwide live with 
chronic hepatitis ,b1 and an estimated  
#fhf1jjj people worldwide die each year 
due to a liver-related illness caused by
 hepatitis ,b2 ,whereas an estimated    
#aej1jjj1jjj people worldwide are       
chronically infected with hepatitis ,c1 
and an estimated #gjj1jjj people        
worldwide die each year due to a        
liver-related illness caused by         

hepatitis ,c2 ,whereas up to an         
estimated #f1ajj1jjj people in the      
,united ,states are infected with either
 hepatitis ,b or hepatitis ,c1 and up to
 an estimated #b1bjj1jjj who are        
chronically infected with hepatitis ,b  
and up to an estimated #c1ijj1jjj people
 who are chronically infected with      
hepatitis ,c2 ,whereas the ,centers for 
,disease ,control and ,prevention       
7,,cdc7 estimated that there were       
#ai1bjj new acute hepatitis ,b          
infections and #cj1ejj new acute        
hepatitis ,c infections1 respectively1  
in the ,united ,states in #bjad2        
,whereas the ,,cdc has found significant
 increases in the transmission of new   
hepatitis cases in the ,united ,states  
since #bjaj1 including a #aeh percent   
increase between #bjaj and #bjad 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 an   
estimated #ai1fei deaths due to         

hepatitis ,c in the ,united ,states in  
#bjad2 ,whereas1 in #bjad1              
#d1gjj1jjj1jjj in ,medicare funds were  
spent on hepatitis ,c treatments2       
,whereas up to an estimated #hj percent 
of people with acute ,hepatitis ,c do   
not have any symptoms2 ,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 7,,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
 #bjag1 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 ,house of   
,representatives-- 7#a7 recognizes      
,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 #e1cjj1jjj people in the  
,united ,states and #djj1jjj1jjj people 
worldwide who suffer from chronic viral 
hepatitis4