IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 32 

Recognizing July 28, 2017, as ‘‘World Hepatitis Day’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 6, 2017 

Ms. MENG submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing July 28, 2017, as ‘‘World Hepatitis Day’’. 

Whereas hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and the incidence of 

liver disease caused by these viruses, have become urgent 

problems of a global proportion; 

Whereas an estimated 1,400,000 people worldwide die each 

year due to hepatitis; 

Whereas an estimated 240,000,000 people worldwide live 

with chronic hepatitis B, and an estimated 686,000 people worldwide die each year due to a liver-related illness 

caused by hepatitis B; 

Whereas an estimated 150,000,000 people worldwide are 

chronically infected with hepatitis C, and an estimated 

700,000 people worldwide die each year due to a liverrelated illness caused by hepatitis C; 


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Whereas up to an estimated 6,100,000 people in the United 

States are infected with either hepatitis B or hepatitis C, 

and up to an estimated 2,200,000 who are chronically infected with hepatitis B and up to an estimated 3,900,000 

people who are chronically infected with hepatitis C; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

(‘‘CDC’’) estimated that there were 19,200 new acute 

hepatitis B infections and 30,500 new acute hepatitis C 

infections, respectively, in the United States in 2014; 

Whereas the CDC has found significant increases in the 

transmission of new hepatitis cases in the United States 

since 2010, including a 158 percent increase between 

2010 and 2014 in new transmissions of hepatitis C in the 

United States; 

Whereas chronic viral hepatitis claims thousands of lives each 

year in the United States, with an estimated 19,659 

deaths due to hepatitis C in the United States in 2014; 

Whereas, in 2014, $4,700,000,000 in Medicare funds were 

spent on hepatitis C treatments; 

Whereas up to an estimated 80 percent of people with acute 

Hepatitis C do not have any symptoms; 

Whereas African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, Latinos, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, gay and 

bisexual men, and persons who inject drugs intravenously 

all have higher rates of chronic viral hepatitis infections 

in the United States than other groups of people; 

Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders bear the 

greatest burden of hepatitis B-related deaths in the 

United States; 

Whereas hepatitis C is 10 times more infectious than human 

immunodeficiency virus (‘‘HIV’’); 


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Whereas hepatitis B is 50 to 100 times more infectious than 

HIV; 

Whereas an estimated 25 percent of people who live in the 

United States and are infected with HIV are also infected with hepatitis C; 

Whereas life expectancies for persons infected with HIV have 

increased with antiretroviral treatment, and liver disease, 

much of which is related to hepatitis B and hepatitis C 

infections, has become the most common cause of death 

among this population that is not related to acquired immune deficiency syndrome; 

Whereas, despite the fact that chronic viral hepatitis is the 

most common blood-borne infection in the United States, 

65 percent of people living with hepatitis B and an estimated 75 percent of people living with hepatitis C are 

unaware of their infection; 

Whereas hepatitis B is preventable through vaccination, and 

both hepatitis B and hepatitis C are preventable with 

proper public health interventions, including programs 

that offer access to sterile injection equipment for people 

who inject drugs intravenously; 

Whereas effective and safe treatment is available for people 

living with hepatitis B and hepatitis C, including new curative treatments for hepatitis C; and 

Whereas the goals of ‘‘World Hepatitis Day’’ on July 28, 

2017, are to— 

(1) highlight the global nature of chronic viral hepatitis epidemics; 

(2) recognize that hepatitis can be prevented and 

eliminated in part through a comprehensive public eduVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:58 Jan 06, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR32.IH HR32

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cation and awareness campaign designed to identify those 

at risk for, and living with, hepatitis; 

(3) inform patients about new treatments that are 

available for hepatitis; and 

(4) help increase the length and quality of life for 

people diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis 

C infections: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes ‘‘World Hepatitis Day’’; 

3 (2) supports broad access to hepatitis B and 

4 hepatitis C treatments; 

5 (3) supports raising awareness of the risks and 

6 consequences of undiagnosed chronic hepatitis B and 

7 hepatitis C infections; and 

8 (4) calls for a robust governmental and public 

9 health response to protect the health of the approxi10 mately 5,300,000 people in the United States and 

11 400,000,000 people worldwide who suffer from 

12 chronic viral hepatitis. 

Æ 


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