Fwd: Senator Boxer Supporting Hepatitis C Legislation

[Guest guest]

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Dear Friend:

 

Hepatitis C (HCV) infection rates continue to increase in

our

nation. This serious virus causes inflammation of the

liver

and other serious complications including cirrhosis of the

liver and liver cancer. About 5 million Americans are

infected

with the HCV, and more than 3 million Americans are

chronically

infected, making it the nation's most common chronic blood

borne virus infection. Conservative estimates indicate

that

30,000 Americans are newly infected with HCV each year,

with

the rate of growth increasing each year since 2001.

 

One of the serious problems of HCV is that it often has few

symptoms. For this reason, many people sustain serious

liver

damage before ever discovering that they are infected.

They

also can help spread the disease to others without knowing

it.

 

I am a cosponsor of the Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and

Prevention Act, S.521, which aims to seriously address HCV

infections in the nation by directing that a plan for the

prevention, control, and management of HCV be developed and

implemented.

 

This legislation would help in the effort to better treat

and

manage the virus by requiring the Secretary of Health and

Human

Services to implement programs to increase awareness of

HCV,

support activities to promote the early detection of HCV

infection, identify risk factors for infection, and conduct

surveillance of HCV infection trends. In addition, the

Secretary would conduct research to identify the best

practices

for HCV prevention, establish a Hepatitis C Clinic Research

Network to conduct research related to the treatment and

medical management of HCV, and conduct basic research to

identify new approaches to prevent and treat HCV.

 

Hepatitis C is often known as " the silent killer.” The aim

of

S.521 is to reduce the number of people infected with and

the

number of people who suffer from this disease. If you have

any

questions about the bill, please be in touch with me.

 

Sincerely,

 

Barbara Boxer

United States Senator

 

 

 

" When the power of love becomes stronger than the love of power, we will have

peace. "

Jimi Hendrix