Recognizing July 28, 2026, as "World Hepatitis Day".

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1458 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1458

         Recognizing July 28, 2026, as ``World Hepatitis Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2026

 Ms. Velazquez (for herself and Mr. Johnson of Georgia) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

         Recognizing July 28, 2026, 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 hepatitis B and hepatitis C remain the world's leading causes of primary
        liver cancer despite effective vaccines and treatments for hepatitis B,
        and a cure for hepatitis C;
Whereas the World Health Organization has stated that progress toward
        eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat in 2030 has
        stalled;
Whereas an estimated 1,340,000 people worldwide die each year due to hepatitis;
Whereas an estimated 240,000,000 people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis B,
        and an estimated 1,100,000 people worldwide die each year due to a
        liver-related illness caused by hepatitis B;
Whereas an estimated 50,000,000 people worldwide are chronically infected with
        hepatitis C, and an estimated 221,000 people worldwide die each year due
        to a liver-related illness caused by hepatitis C;
Whereas, in the United States, up to an estimated--

    (1) 2,400,000 are chronically infected with hepatitis B; and

    (2) 3,500,000 people are chronically infected with hepatitis C;

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that
        there were 39,687 newly reported acute hepatitis B infections and 48,921
        newly reported acute hepatitis C infections, respectively, in the United
        States between 2011 and 2024;
Whereas chronic viral hepatitis claims thousands of lives each year in the
        United States, with an estimated 10,283 deaths due to hepatitis C in the
        United States in 2024;
Whereas up to an estimated 80 percent of people with acute hepatitis C do not
        have any symptoms;
Whereas available data suggests that more than 70 percent of new hepatitis C
        infections and 36 percent of new hepatitis B infections are among people
        who inject drugs;
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;
Whereas hepatitis C is 10 times more infectious than human immunodeficiency
        virus (HIV);
Whereas hepatitis B is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV;
Whereas an estimated 33 percent of people who live in the United States and are
        infected with HIV are also infected with hepatitis B or 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, over half of people living with
        hepatitis B and hepatitis C are unaware of their infection;
Whereas the hepatitis B vaccine is highly effective, and the longstanding
        universal birth dose and childhood hepatitis B recommendations have
        helped to successfully reduce childhood hepatitis B infections by more
        than 99 percent in the United States;
Whereas hepatitis C is curable through antiviral treatment but less than a third
        of people living with hepatitis C receive treatment;
Whereas 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 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the CDC now recommend
        that all adults aged 19 to 59 be vaccinated, and all adults aged 18 and
        older be screened, for hepatitis B, shifting clinical guidelines from a
        risk-based to a universal standard and recognizing that previous
        hepatitis B interventions focusing only on at-risk individuals were
        insufficient;
Whereas health department hepatitis services have been significantly reduced,
        community-based organizations have had to reduce operations, severely
        reducing hepatitis B and C testing, hepatitis B vaccination, and
        community outreach, and persons living with hepatitis B or C have faced
        increased challenges in accessing medical care and treatment due to
        delayed appointments and deprioritization of routine hepatitis or
        primary care services; and
Whereas the goals of ``World Hepatitis Day'' on July 28, 2026, are to--

    (1) highlight the global nature of chronic viral hepatitis epidemics;

    (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

    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes ``World Hepatitis Day'';
            (2) supports broad access to hepatitis B and hepatitis C
        vaccination and treatments;
            (3) supports raising awareness of the risks and
        consequences of undiagnosed chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C
        infections;
            (4) calls for a robust governmental and public health
        response to protect the health of the approximately 5,900,000
        people in the United States; and
            (5) urges the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to
        partner with State and local health departments to develop
        strategies to increase the rate of hepatitis B adult
        vaccination and hepatitis C treatment to the levels necessary
        to eliminate new infections in the United States.
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