III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 600 

Recognizing July 28, 2018, as ‘‘World Hepatitis Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 31, 2018 

Ms. HIRONO (for herself and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 

Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing July 28, 2018, as ‘‘World Hepatitis Day’’. 

Whereas hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and the incidence of liver 

disease caused by such viruses have become urgent problems of a global proportion; 

Whereas, worldwide, an estimated— 

(1) 1,340,000 people die each year due to hepatitis; 

(2) 257,000,000 people live with chronic hepatitis B; 

(3) 887,000 people die each year mostly due to a 

liver-related illness caused by hepatitis B; 

(4) 71,000,000 people are chronically infected with 

hepatitis C; and 

(5) 399,000 people die each year due to a liver-related illness caused by hepatitis C; 

Whereas, in the United States, an estimated— 


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(1) 5,700,000 people are infected with hepatitis B or 

hepatitis C; 

(2) 2,200,000 people are chronically infected with 

hepatitis B; and 

(3) 3,500,000 people are chronically infected with 

hepatitis C; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘CDC’’) estimates that, 

in 2016, there were 20,900 new acute hepatitis B infections and 41,200 new acute hepatitis C infections in the 

United States; 

Whereas the CDC has found significant increases in the 

amount of new hepatitis cases in the United States since 

2010, including a 3.5-fold increase between 2010 and 

2016 in reported cases of acute hepatitis C infections; 

Whereas chronic viral hepatitis claims thousands of lives each 

year in the United States, with an estimated 18,153 

deaths due to hepatitis C in 2016; 

Whereas, between 2015 and 2020, there is estimated to be 

$136,000,000,000 in hepatitis C drug spending from all 

payers, and government payers would fund 

$61,000,000,000, an estimated 45 percent of such spending; 

Whereas 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 people who inject drugs intravenously 

have higher rates of chronic viral hepatitis infections in 

the United States than other groups of people; 


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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 (referred to in this preamble as 

‘‘HIV’’); 

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, while life expectancies for individuals infected with 

HIV have increased with antiretroviral treatment, liver 

disease, which is commonly related to hepatitis B and 

hepatitis C infections, has become the most common 

cause of death among HIV-infected individuals 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, 

more than half of the people living with hepatitis B and 

hepatitis C are unaware of their infections; 

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; and 

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

2018, are to— 

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


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(2) recognize that hepatitis can be prevented and 

eliminated, in part, through a comprehensive public education 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 Senate— 

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 5,700,000 people in the United States and 

11 328,000,000 people worldwide who have hepatitis. 

Æ 


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