H. Res. 1155 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

May 12, 2010. 

Whereas tuberculosis (hereafter in this preamble referred to 

as ‘‘TB’’) is the second leading fatal global infectious disease behind HIV/AIDS, claiming 1,800,000 million lives 

each year; 

Whereas the global TB pandemic and the spread of drug resistant TB present a persistent public health threat to 

the United States; 

Whereas according to 2009 data of the World Health Organization, 5 percent of all new TB cases are drug resistant; 

Whereas TB is the leading killer of people with HIV/AIDS; 

Whereas TB is the third leading killer of adult women, and 

the stigma associated with TB disproportionately affects 

women, causing them to delay seeking care and interfering with treatment adherence; 

Whereas the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found that the resurgence of TB between 1980 and 1992 was caused by 

cuts in TB control funding and the spread of HIV/AIDS; 

Whereas, although the numbers of TB cases in the United 

States continue to decline, progress towards TB elimination has slowed, and it is a disease that does not recognize borders; 
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•HRES 1155 EH 

Whereas New York City had to spend over $1,000,000,000 

to control a multi-drug resistant TB outbreak between 

1989 and 1993; 

Whereas an extensively drug resistant form of TB, known as 

XDR-TB (hereafter referred to in this preamble as 

‘‘XDR-TB)’’), is very difficult and expensive to treat and 

has high and rapid fatality rates, especially among HIV/ 

AIDS patients; 

Whereas the United States has had more than 83 cases of 

XDR-TB over the last decade; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in 2009 that it costs $483,000 to treat a single 

case of XDR-TB; 

Whereas African Americans are 8 times more likely to have 

TB than Caucasians, and significant disparities exist 

among other United States minorities, including Native 

Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans; 

Whereas, although drugs, diagnostics and vaccines for TB 

exist, these technologies are antiquated and are increasingly inadequate for controlling the global epidemic; 

Whereas the most commonly used TB diagnostic in the 

world, sputum microscopy, is more than 100 years old 

and lacks sensitivity to detect TB in most HIV/AIDS patients and in children; 

Whereas current tests to detect drug resistance take at least 

1 month to complete and faster drug susceptibility tests 

must be developed to stop the spread of drug resistant 

TB; 

Whereas the TB vaccine, BCG, provides some protection to 

children, but has little or no efficacy in preventing pulmonary TB in adults; 
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•HRES 1155 EH 

Whereas there is also a critical need for new TB drugs that 

can safely be taken concurrently with antiretroviral therapy for HIV; 

Whereas enactment of the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde 

United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 and 

the Comprehensive TB Elimination Act provide an historic United States commitment to the global eradication 

of TB, including to the successful treatment of 4,500,000 

new TB patients and 90,000 new multi-drug resistant 

(MDR) TB cases by 2013, while providing additional 

treatment through coordinated multilateral efforts; 

Whereas the United States Agency for International Development provides financial and technical assistance to nearly 

40 highly-burdened TB countries and supports the development of new diagnostic and treatment tools, and is authorized to support research to develop new vaccines to 

combat TB; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 

working in partnership with States and territories of the 

United States, directs the national TB elimination program and essential national TB surveillance, technical assistance, prevention activities and supports the development of new diagnostic, treatment and prevention tools 

to combat TB; 

Whereas the National Institutes of Health, through its many 

institutes and centers, plays the leading role in basic and 

clinical research into the identification, treatment and 

prevention of TB; 

Whereas the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and 

Malaria provides 63 percent of all international financing 
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•HRES 1155 EH 

for TB programs worldwide and finances proposals worth 

$3,200,000,000 in 112 countries, and TB treatment for 

6,000,000 and HIV/TB services for 1,800,000, and in 

many countries in which the Global Fund supports programs, TB prevalence is declining, as are TB mortality 

rates; and 

Whereas March 24, 2010, is World Tuberculosis Day, a day 

that commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert 

Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) supports the goals of World TB Day to raise 

awareness about tuberculosis; 

(2) commends the progress made by United Statesled anti-tuberculosis programs; and 

(3) reaffirms its commitment to global tuberculosis 

control made through the Tom Lantos and Henry J. 

Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/ 

AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 

2008. 

Attest: 

Clerk.