Senate Resolution No. 2046

BY: Senator RIVERA

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        May 2022, 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  Kathy  Hochul  to proclaim May 2022, 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  fifth  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,  In  2016,  approximately 3.5 million Americans were living
with chronic hepatitis C, and between 800,000-2 million were living with
hepatitis B; 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  Kathy  Hochul  to proclaim May 2022, 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 Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.