SR0098 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0098 LRB102 14002 LAW 19354 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The month of May is nationally recognized as Hepatitis Awareness Month thanks to the Know More Hepatitis campaign initiative developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Viral Hepatitis; the campaign was designed to increase awareness about the hidden epidemic that affects the lives of so many; and

WHEREAS, Anyone can contract Hepatitis C, and baby boomers are five times more susceptible to the virus; Hepatitis is particularly dangerous because the symptoms do not manifest upon contraction or, in some cases, in more advanced stages; this unfortunately leads to individuals being unaware of their infection; and

WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, there were 80,068 cases of chronic or resolved Hepatitis C virus infections reported from 2005 to 2015, with 171 other cases reported to be acute forms of the infection; of those infected in Illinois, over half were between the ages of 46 and 60; and

WHEREAS, Various private and public organizations, such as the American Liver Foundation, the Illinois State Medical Society, the Chicago Department of Public Health, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the CDC, have championed efforts to raise awareness and to find solutions to the problems resulting from the Hepatitis C virus in Illinois and across the country; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare May 19, 2021 as Hepatitis C Screening Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, all Illinois constitutional officers, and all members of the Illinois General Assembly in order to bring further awareness of the prevalence of the Hepatitis C virus in our State and around the country.