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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 981 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 981

   Recognizing March 6, 2008, as the first-ever World Glaucoma Day, 
  established to increase awareness of glaucoma, which is the second 
    leading cause of preventable blindness in the United States and 
                               worldwide.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2008

  Ms. Baldwin (for herself and Mr. Sessions) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Recognizing March 6, 2008, as the first-ever World Glaucoma Day, 
  established to increase awareness of glaucoma, which is the second 
    leading cause of preventable blindness in the United States and 
                               worldwide.

Whereas glaucoma is a progressive disease of the optic nerve, robbing 
        individuals of both peripheral and central vision;
Whereas glaucoma affects all age groups, including infants, children, and the 
        elderly;
Whereas glaucoma disproportionately affects underserved minority populations, 
        with African-Americans having a three times greater risk of developing 
        this disease than White Americans, and it is the leading cause of 
        irreversible vision loss in African-Americans and Hispanics;
Whereas glaucoma is the second leading cause of preventable vision loss in the 
        United States, afflicting 2,200,000 Americans, and it is the leading 
        cause of permanent blindness worldwide, afflicting 67,000,000 persons;
Whereas awareness is absolutely crucial, as glaucoma often has no symptoms until 
        vision loss occurs, and it is estimated that, in the United States, more 
        than half of the individuals with glaucoma are unaware that they have it 
        and, in developing countries, 90 percent of individuals with glaucoma 
        are unaware that they have it;
Whereas with early diagnosis and ongoing treatment, 90 percent of the cases 
        where blindness occurs can be avoided and awareness is crucial, so that 
        individuals with known risk factors for glaucoma and those over the age 
        of 40 should have regular, comprehensive eye examinations that include 
        careful evaluation of the optic nerve and measurement of eye pressure;
Whereas, the National Eye Institute (``NEI'') within the National Institutes of 
        Health (``NIH'') has been a worldwide leader in glaucoma research, 
        elucidating the genetic basis of different types of the disease 
        (including risk factors) and the potential for gene therapy approaches, 
        identifying factors that can protect the optic nerve from damage, 
        evaluating the potential for optic nerve cell regeneration, and better 
        understanding how elevated intraocular pressure leads to optic nerve 
        damage and how pressure-reducing drugs ultimately developed from NEI-led 
        research can reduce glaucoma progression;
Whereas adequate Federal funding is needed at the NEI for research to prevent, 
        diagnose, and cure glaucoma-related vision impairment and blindness, 
        which disproportionately affects underserved minority populations; and
Whereas the public needs to know the insidious nature of glaucoma, that there 
        are means for detecting and treating it to save sight, and the 
        importance of compliance associated with those treatments, and the 
        first-ever World Glaucoma Day is an observance planned to increase 
        global awareness in that regard: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the first-ever World Glaucoma Day;
            (2) supports the efforts of the National Eye Institute 
        within the National Institutes of Health to fund research on 
        the causes of glaucoma, including genetic and environmental 
        risk factors, glaucoma prevention, the relationships between 
        damage to the optic nerve and loss of vision, societal and 
        individual impacts, diagnostics, and treatment to save and 
        potentially restore sight; and
            (3) congratulates the American Glaucoma Society for its 
        efforts to expand awareness of the prevalence and economic 
        burden of glaucoma, as well as the continued need for federally 
        funded research into the disease, through congressional visits 
        recently conducted.
                                 <all>
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