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| | SJ0046 | | LRB097 20181 RPM 65590 r |
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| 1 | | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | | WHEREAS, An estimated 4,000,000 individuals in the United |
| 3 | | States are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), and 75% |
| 4 | | of these individuals are unaware they are infected; and
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| 5 | | WHEREAS, HCV is the leading cause of liver cancer and liver |
| 6 | | failure and the most common reason for liver transplantation in |
| 7 | | the United States; and
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| 8 | | WHEREAS, HCV is 4 times more prevalent than HIV/AIDS and |
| 9 | | led to more than 15,000 deaths in the United States in 2007; |
| 10 | | 350,000 people die each year due to hepatitis C-related liver |
| 11 | | disease worldwide; and
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| 12 | | WHEREAS, Two of every 3 people with chronic hepatitis C in |
| 13 | | this country are baby boomers born between 1945 and 1965 who |
| 14 | | were infected decades ago; and
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| 15 | | WHEREAS, HCV disproportionately affects minorities; |
| 16 | | African Americans, who make up 14% of the population, account |
| 17 | | for 22% of HCV cases in the U.S.; and
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| 18 | | WHEREAS, The Hispanic community also bears a heavier |
| 19 | | burden; chronic HCV is more aggressive and carries a higher |
| 20 | | risk of cirrhosis for Hispanics than for any other ethnic |
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| | SJ0046 | - 2 - | LRB097 20181 RPM 65590 r |
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| 1 | | group; and
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| 2 | | WHEREAS, The costs for HCV patients are projected to more |
| 3 | | than double over the next 20 years, from $30,000,000,000 to |
| 4 | | $85,000,000,000 per year; therefore, be it
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| 5 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL |
| 6 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
| 7 | | CONCURRING HEREIN, that, due to the prevalence and highly |
| 8 | | communicable nature of hepatitis, we urge the 112th Congress of |
| 9 | | the United States to enact the federal Viral Hepatitis Testing |
| 10 | | Act of 2011 in order to:
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| 11 | | (1) authorize testing programs with the goal of making |
| 12 | | 75% of infected people aware of their status by 2016; |
| 13 | | (2) authorize the development and distribution of |
| 14 | | public information about viral hepatitis detection and the |
| 15 | | control of infections; |
| 16 | | (3) authorize better coordination of medical treatment |
| 17 | | and counseling so that infected people have access to the |
| 18 | | best services; and |
| 19 | | (4) improve the education, training, and skills of |
| 20 | | health professionals in the detection and control of viral |
| 21 | | hepatitis infections; and be it further
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| 22 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
| 23 | | delivered to members of the Illinois congressional delegation.
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