NVHR Applauds New Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Awareness, Prevention of Viral Hepatitis

NVHR Applauds New Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Awareness, Prevention of
Viral Hepatitis

Landmark Legislation to Increase Public Awareness of Disease Impacting Over 5
Million Americans

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bipartisan legislation
introduced today in the US House of Representatives, "The Viral Hepatitis and
Liver Cancer Control Act," will increase awareness and prevention of a disease
that is already afflicting over 5 million Americans - more than half of whom
do not know they are infected - and will help set the stage to avoid tens of
billions of dollars in unnecessary health care costs in the coming decade, the
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) said today.

The NVHR is a coalition of public, private, and voluntary organizations
dedicated to reducing the incidence of infection, morbidity, and mortality
from viral hepatitis in the United States through strategic planning,
leadership, coordination, advocacy, and research.

"We have a wave of chronic liver disease that will crash like a tsunami on the
US healthcare system if we do not address this problem now," said Lorren
Sandt, Chair of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable. "This important
legislation will help identify the people who are chronically infected and get
them into treatment, which can save millions in future healthcare costs."

The legislation was introduced by Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) and
Congressman Charles Dent (R-PA) and co-sponsored by Representatives William
Cassidy (R-LA), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-LA), David Wu
(D-OR), Todd Platts (R-PA), Donna M. Christiansen (D-VI), Barbara Lee (D-CA),
Bobby Rush (D-IL), George Butterfield (D-NC), and Judy Chu (D-CA).

The Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control Act would amend the Public Health
Service Act to establish, promote, and support a comprehensive prevention,
research, and medical management referral program for chronic hepatitis B and
chronic hepatitis C virus infection. The bill would provide an initial $90
million in funding in 2011 - with additional funding thereafter - that will
increase the ability of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
to support state health departments in their prevention, immunization and
surveillance efforts.

Congressman Mike Honda, Democrat of California and Chairman of the
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said, "Chronic Hepatitis B and C
are silent killers, poised to strike millions of Americans and it is time for
Congress to act in a concerted effort to educate particularly vulnerable
communities as well as the general public. For example, due to a number of
factors, Asian American & Pacific Islanders have a much higher prevalence rate
of hepatitis B and develop liver cancer at a much higher rate than other
ethnic groups. However, few in the AAPI community are aware of their risk
factors or about how to manage or treat the disease. This bipartisan bill
judiciously invests federal money in a balanced, comprehensive approach to
viral hepatitis education, prevention, treatment, and management and I look
forward to working to pass this legislation."

"The lack of awareness for Hepatitis B and C leads to under diagnosis," said
Congressman Mike Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, who speaks from his unique
perspective as a physician who has treated patients with hepatitis B and
hepatitis C. "Those infected risk liver failure, which leads to liver
transplant or death. As a Hepatologist, I have witnessed first hand the
consequences hepatitis can inflict on a patient's health, their families and
the nation's health care budget."

The American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD), of which
Congressman Cassidy is a member, strongly supports the bill. "This is a
vitally important recognition of the tremendous suffering inflicted by viral
hepatitis on the health of Americans, and the urgency of the fight to find
better treatments for these liver diseases," said AASLD President, Dr. Scott
L. Friedman. AASLD is the leading organization of scientists and healthcare
professionals committed to preventing and curing liver disease.

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are highly infectious blood-borne viruses that
cause liver disease, liver cancer, and premature death. Hepatitis B and
hepatitis C are the leading causes of primary liver cancer, one of the most
deadly cancers, with five-year survival rates of only 10 percent. While the
incidence of many cancers is declining, rates of liver cancer are increasing.
Chronic hepatitis B is treatable when detected early and properly managed. In
about 50 percent of the cases, chronic hepatitis C can be cured.

An estimated 2 billion people worldwide have been infected with the hepatitis
B virus, of whom 400 million are infected chronically. Approximately 170
million people worldwide are infected chronically with the hepatitis C virus.
An estimated 5.3 million people living in the United States are infected with
either hepatitis B or hepatitis C; tragically more than half are unaware of
their status.

SOURCE National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable

Phil Blando, +1-202-258-4978, or RC Hammond, +1-202-262-9292, both for
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable