,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #fjj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ca1
 #bjah ,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 #bjah1 as ,world
 ,hepatitis ,day4  ,whereas hepatitis   
,b1 hepatitis ,c1 and the incidence of  
liver disease caused by such viruses    
have become urgent problems of a global 
proportion2 ,whereas1 worldwide1 an     
estimated-- 7#a7 #a1cdj1jjj people die  
each year due to hepatitis2  7#b7       
#beg1jjj1jjj people live with chronic   
hepatitis ,b2  7#c7 #hhg1jjj people die 
each year mostly due to a liver-related 
illness caused by hepatitis ,b2  7#d7   
#ga1jjj1jjj people are chronically      
infected with hepatitis ,c2 and  7#e7   
#cii1jjj people die each year due to a  
liver-related illness caused by         
hepatitis ,c2  ,whereas1 in the ,united 

,states1 an estimated-- 7#a7 #e1gjj1jjj 
people are infected with hepatitis ,b or
 hepatitis ,c2  7#b7 #b1bjj1jjj people  
are chronically infected with hepatitis 
,b2 and  7#c7 #c1ejj1jjj people are     
chronically infected with hepatitis ,c2 
,whereas the ,centers for ,disease      
,control and ,prevention 7referred to in
 this preamble as the ,,cdc7 estimates  
that1 in #bjaf1 there were #bj1ijj new  
acute hepatitis ,b infections and       
#da1bjj new acute hepatitis ,c          
infections in the ,united ,states2      
,whereas the ,,cdc has found significant
 increases in the amount of new         
hepatitis cases in the ,united ,states  
since #bjaj1 including a #c4e-;fold     
increase between #bjaj and #bjaf in     
reported cases of acute hepatitis ,c    
infections2 ,whereas chronic viral      
hepatitis claims thousands of lives each
 year in the ,united ,states1 with an   
estimated #ah1aec deaths due to         
hepatitis ,c in #bjaf2 ,whereas1 between
 #bjae and #bjbj1 there is estimated to 

be #acf1jjj1jjj1jjj in hepatitis ,c drug
 spending from all payers1 and          
government payers would fund            
#fa1jjj1jjj1jjj1 an estimated #de       
percent of such spending2 ,whereas 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     
people who inject drugs intravenously   
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 8,,hiv072 ,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 ,whereas1 while life      
expectancies for individuals infected   
with ,,hiv have increased with          
antiretroviral treatment1 liver disease1
 which is commonly related to hepatitis 
,b and hepatitis ,c infections1 has     
become the most common cause of death   
among ,,hiv-infected individuals 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 more than half  
of the people living with hepatitis ,b  
and hepatitis ,c are unaware of their   
infections2 ,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 and ,whereas the goals of

 ,world ,hepatitis ,day on ,july #bh1   
#bjah1 are to-- 7#a7 highlight the      
global nature of chronic viral hepatitis
 epidemics2  7#b7 recognize that        
hepatitis can be prevented and          
eliminated1 in part1 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 ,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 #e1gjj1jjj people in the  
,united ,states and #cbh1jjj1jjj people 
worldwide who have hepatitis4