,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #bcf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bg1
 #bjag,ms4 ,hirono 7for herself and ,mr4
 ,cardin7 submitted the following       
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,,resolution     
,recognizing ,july #bh1 #bjag1 as ,world
 ,hepatitis ,day #bjag4  ,whereas       
,hepatitis ,b1 ,hepatitis ,c1 and the   
incidence of liver disease caused by    
those viruses1 have become urgent       
problems of a global proportion2        
,whereas the ,world ,health             
,organization has identified viral      
hepatitis as an international public    
health challenge comparable to human    
immunodeficiency virus 7in this preamble
 referred to as ,,hiv71 tuberculosis1   
and malaria2 ,whereas1 in #bjaf1 the    
,world ,health ,organization released a 
global health sector strategy on viral  
hepatitis that aims to eliminate viral  
hepatitis as a public health threat by  

#bjcj2 ,whereas an estimated            
#bdj1jjj1jjj individuals worldwide are  
chronically infected with ,hepatitis ,b 
and an estimated #fhf1jjj individuals   
worldwide die each year due to          
,hepatitis ,b2 ,whereas an estimated    
#aej1jjj1jjj individuals worldwide are  
chronically infected with ,hepatitis ,c 
and an estimated #gjj1jjj individuals   
worldwide die each year due to          
,hepatitis ,c-related liver disease2    
,whereas an estimated #a1jjj1jjj        
individuals worldwide die each year due 
to liver failure or primary liver cancer
 resulting from a chronic infection of  
hepatitis2 ,whereas an estimated        
#e1cjj1jjj individuals in the ,united   
,states are infected with either        
,hepatitis ,b or ,hepatitis ,c1         
including #a1djj1jjj individuals who are
 chronically infected with ,hepatitis ,b
 and #b1gjj1jjj individuals who are     
chronically infected with ,hepatitis ,c2
 ,whereas1 in #bjad1 the ,centers for   
,disease ,control and ,prevention       

estimated that there were #ai1bjj new   
,hepatitis ,b infections and #cj1ejj new
 ,hepatitis ,c infections1 respectively1
 in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas1 since
 #bjaj1 the ,centers for ,disease       
,control and ,prevention has found      
significant increases in the            
transmission of new hepatitis cases in  
the ,united ,states1 including a        
#aea-percent increase in new            
transmissions of ,hepatitis ,c in the   
,united ,states between #bjaj and #bjac2
 ,whereas chronic viral hepatitis claims
 thousands of lives in the ,united      
,states each year1 and in #bjad alone1  
there were #ai1fei deaths due to        
,hepatitis ,c in the ,united ,states2   
,whereas an individual who has become   
chronically infected with ,hepatitis ,b 
or ,hepatitis ,c may not have symptoms  
for up to #dj years after being         
infected2 ,whereas some groups of       
individuals in the ,united ,states have 
a higher rate of chronic viral hepatitis
 infection than other groups of         

individuals in the ,united ,states1     
including ,african-,americans1 ,asian   
,americans1 ,pacific ,islanders1        
,latinos1 ,native ,americans1 ,alaska   
,natives1 gay and bisexual men1 and     
individuals who inject drugs            
intravenously2 ,whereas ,asian          
,americans and ,pacific ,islanders have 
the highest rate of ,hepatitis          
,b-related deaths in the ,united        
,states2 ,whereas ,hepatitis ,b is #ej  
to #ajj times more infectious than      
,,hiv2 ,whereas ,hepatitis ,c is #aj    
times more infectious than ,,hiv2       
,whereas an estimated #be percent of    
individuals in the ,united ,states who  
are infected with ,,hiv are also        
infected with ,hepatitis ,c2 ,whereas   
life expectancies for individuals       
infected with ,,hiv have increased with 
antiretroviral treatment1 and liver     
disease 7largely attributed to          
,hepatitis ,b and ,hepatitis ,c         
infections7 has become the most common  
cause of death among this population1   

aside from acquired immune deficiency   
syndrome2 ,whereas1 despite the fact    
that chronic viral hepatitis is the most
 common blood-borne infection in the    
,united ,states1 an estimated #fe       
percent of individuals with ,hepatitis  
,b and an estimated #ge percent of      
individuals with ,hepatitis ,c are      
unaware of the 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         
individuals who inject drugs            
intravenously2 ,whereas effective and   
safe treatment is available for         
individuals with ,hepatitis ,b and      
,hepatitis ,c1 including new curative   
treatments for ,hepatitis ,c2 and       
,whereas ,world ,hepatitis ,day #bjag   
will promote the elimination of viral   
hepatitis through greater awareness1    
increased diagnosis1 and key            

interventions3 ,now1 therefore1 be it   
,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 recognizes     
,july #bh1 #bjag1 as ,world ,hepatitis  
,day #bjag2  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  
individuals in the ,united ,states1 and 
#cij1jjj1jjj individuals worldwide1 who 
suffer from chronic viral hepatitis4