Bill Text: NY J00268 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim May 2019, as Hepatitis Awareness Month in the State of New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-01-23 - ADOPTED [J00268 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-J00268-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 268

BY: Senator RIVERA

        MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
        May  2019, as Hepatitis Awareness Month in the State
        of New York

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of  this  Legislative  Body  to  recognize
official  months  that  are  set  aside to increase awareness of serious
diseases that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  it  is the sense of this Legislative Body to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim May 2019, as  Hepatitis
Awareness  Month  in  the  State  of  New  York, in conjunction with the
observance of National Hepatitis Awareness Month; and

  WHEREAS, May 19th has been designated as National Hepatitis  Testing
Day in the United States; and

  WHEREAS,  The  Centers for Disease Control will use the third annual
Hepatitis Testing Day on May 19th as an  opportunity  to  remind  health
care  providers  and  the  public who should be tested for chronic viral
hepatitis; and

  WHEREAS,  The  American  Liver  Foundation  (ALF)  is  dedicated  to
facilitating,  advocating, and promoting education, support and research
for the prevention, treatment and cure of liver disease; and

  WHEREAS, The word  'hepatitis'  means  inflammation  of  the  liver;
toxins, certain drugs, heavy alcohol use, bacterial and viral infections
can all cause hepatitis; and

  WHEREAS,  Hepatitis is a public health threat, known to be caused by
many viruses; this disease causes inflammation of the liver; and

  WHEREAS, There are three main types of viral hepatitis, A, B, and C;
their effects range from not usually serious  (A)  to  serious  (C);  in
addition,   rarer  forms  of  hepatitis  include  hepatitis  D,  E,  and
autoimmune hepatitis; and

  WHEREAS, Up to 4.7 million Americans have  chronic  hepatitis  B  or
hepatitis  C infection; approximately 75% of the infected population are
unaware they are even infected; and

  WHEREAS, A vaccine is available for hepatitis A (HAV);  as  many  as
1.2  million  people  are living with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) which is
spread through blood and body fluids; and if left untreated, hepatitis C
(HCV) can be life threatening; and

  WHEREAS, There is a lot of stigma associated with hepatitis  B;  the
hepatitis  virus  attacks  the  liver causing damage which can result in
liver cancer; hepatitis B accounts for about 80% of liver cancer  cases;
and

  WHEREAS,  Chronic  viral  hepatitis  due  to  hepatitis C has been a
disease that has little or no public awareness  due  to  its  nature  as
being largely asymptomatic until irreversible liver damage has occurred;
and

  WHEREAS,   Currently,   hepatitis  C  infects  nearly  four  million
Americans, including over 200,000  New  Yorkers,  and  there  are  about
25,000 new cases each year in the United States; and

  WHEREAS,  The  consequences  of  hepatitis C reached a high in 2014,
with 19,659 deaths, and costs approximately  $7.5  million  per  100,000
people; and

  WHEREAS,  Hepatitis  C  is  largely  not  reported and the public is
uninformed about the virus; and

  WHEREAS, In the absence of a vaccine for hepatitis C, emphasis  must
be  placed  on other means of disease prevention, including education of
health care  workers,  emergency  services  workers,  veterans  and  the
general public; and

  WHEREAS,  Hepatitis  C  has  been  characterized by the World Health
Organization as a disease of primary concern to humanity; and

  WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness  of
this serious health issue, and more must be done to increase activity at
the  State, local and national levels to support the patients as well as
their families; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
memorialize  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim May 2019, as Hepatitis
Awareness Month in the State of New York, and to urge  the  citizens  of
this  great  Empire State to learn about the causes, symptoms, diagnoses
and treatments for hepatitis; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted  to  The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of
New York.