House Resolution 115

PAG LIN

  1  1                HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2          BY  HEATON, FOEGE, SMITH, and UPMEYER
  1  3 A Resolution to recognize May 2004 as hepatitis C
  1  4    awareness and education month and to urge greater
  1  5    public awareness and education regarding hepatitis C.
  1  6    WHEREAS, hepatitis C is the most common chronic
  1  7 bloodborne viral infection in the United States,
  1  8 infecting 3.9 million people nationwide and an
  1  9 additional 25,000 people each year, and is the leading
  1 10 cause of liver disease; and
  1 11    WHEREAS, sixty=seven percent of hepatitis C=
  1 12 infected persons are chronically infected and
  1 13 approximately 8,000 to 10,000 people in the United
  1 14 States die each year from conditions caused by
  1 15 hepatitis C; and
  1 16    WHEREAS, there were 52,943 estimated cases of
  1 17 hepatitis C in Iowa according to 2001 census data with
  1 18 an additional 3,946 cases identified in Iowa between
  1 19 January 1, 2002, and August 31, 2003; and
  1 20    WHEREAS, there is no vaccine or cure for hepatitis
  1 21 C and therefore emphasis must be placed on prevention
  1 22 and public awareness to control the spread of this
  1 23 potentially lethal disease; NOW THEREFORE,
  1 24    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
  1 25 That the members of the House of Representatives
  1 26 recognize May 2004 as hepatitis C awareness and
  1 27 education month; and
  1 28    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Iowa Department of
  1 29 Public Health shall provide to the General Assembly
  1 30 the findings of the task force for viral hepatitis;
  2  1 and
  2  2    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That upon adoption, the
  2  3 Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives shall send
  2  4 a copy of this Resolution to the Iowa Department of
  2  5 Public Health.
  2  6 LSB 6278HH 80
  2  7 kk/sh/8