PRINTER'S NO. 1972
No. 176 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY MOWERY, TOMLINSON, GERLACH, MUSTO, CONTI, HUGHES,
WAGNER, MURPHY, BOSCOLA, ROBBINS, TARTAGLIONE, WENGER,
BRIGHTBILL, ARMSTRONG, COSTA, STAPLETON, LAVALLE, SALVATORE,
O'PAKE, DENT, SCHWARTZ, GREENLEAF, WAUGH, THOMPSON, HART AND
CORMAN, MAY 16, 2000
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MAY 16, 2000
A RESOLUTION
1 Declaring the month of June 2000 as "Hepatitis C Awareness
2 Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Hepatitis is a known public health threat caused by
4 at least four different viruses; and
5 WHEREAS, Chronic viral hepatitis due to hepatitis C has
6 received little or no public awareness since infected
7 individuals are largely asymptomatic until irreversible liver
8 damage has occurred; and
9 WHEREAS, Hepatitis C currently infects nearly 4 million
10 Americans, including an estimated 216,000 Pennsylvanians, and
11 there are about 30,000 new cases and approximately 10,000 deaths
12 each year in the United States; and
13 WHEREAS, Treatment of hepatitis C infections costs
14 approximately $7.5 million per 100,000 people; and
15 WHEREAS, Hepatitis C is largely nonreported and the public is
16 uninformed about the virus; and
1 WHEREAS, In the absence of a vaccine for hepatitis C,
2 emphasis must be placed on other means of disease prevention,
3 including education of health care workers, emergency services
4 workers, veterans, correction employees and the general public;
5 and
6 WHEREAS, Hepatitis C has been characterized by the World
7 Health Organization as a disease of primary concern to humanity;
8 therefore be it
9 RESOLVED, That the Senate declare the month of June 2000 as
10 "Hepatitis C Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania and urge the
11 citizens of this Commonwealth to learn about the causes,
12 symptoms, diagnoses and treatments for hepatitis C.
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