III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 233 

Recognizing July 28, 2015, as ‘‘World Hepatitis Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 28, 2015 

Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. SCHUMER, and Mr. SCHATZ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing July 28, 2015, 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 350,000,000 people worldwide live 

with chronic hepatitis B, and an estimated 780,000 people worldwide die each year due to hepatitis B; 

Whereas an estimated 150,000,000 people worldwide are 

chronically infected with hepatitis C, and an estimated 

500,000 people worldwide die each year due to a liverrelated illness caused by hepatitis C; 

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

year due to liver failure or primary liver cancer resulting 

from a chronic infection of hepatitis; 


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Whereas an estimated 5,300,000 people in the United States 

are infected with either hepatitis B or hepatitis C, including 1,400,000 people who are chronically infected with 

hepatitis B and 2,700,000 people who are chronically infected with hepatitis C; 

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

there were 19,764 new hepatitis B infections and 29,718 

new hepatitis C infections, respectively, in the United 

States in 2013; 

Whereas the CDC has found significant increases in the 

transmission of new hepatitis cases in the United States 

since 2010, including a 151 percent increase between 

2010 and 2013 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 19,368 deaths due to 

hepatitis C in the United States in 2013; 

Whereas, in 2014, $4,500,000,000 in Medicare funds were 

spent on hepatitis C treatments; 

Whereas a person who has become chronically infected with 

hepatitis B or hepatitis C may not have symptoms for up 

to 40 years after the initial infection occurred; 

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; 


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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 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, 

2015, 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 July 28, 2015, as ‘‘World Hepa3 titis Day’’; 

4 (2) supports broad access to hepatitis B and 

5 hepatitis C treatments; 

6 (3) supports raising awareness of the risks and 

7 consequences of undiagnosed chronic hepatitis B and 

8 hepatitis C infections; and 

9 (4) calls for a robust governmental and public 

10 health response to protect the health of the approxi11 mately 5,000,000 people in the United States and 

12 400,000,000 people worldwide who suffer from 

13 chronic viral hepatitis. 

Æ 


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