Bill > K00438

This resolution memorializes Governor Kathy Hochul to declare May 2025 as Hepatitis C Awareness Month in New York, highlighting the significant public health challenges posed by the disease. The resolution notes that Hepatitis C currently infects between three and five million Americans, including an estimated 280,000 New Yorkers, with approximately 58,000 new cases and over 14,000 related deaths annually in the United States. It emphasizes that the disease is often asymptomatic, with many infected individuals unaware of their status, and disproportionately affects baby boomers (born 1945-1965) and younger generations impacted by the opioid crisis. The resolution underscores New York's leadership in promoting testing and awareness, including being the first state to mandate a one-time Hepatitis C test for persons born between 1945 and 1965. By calling for this awareness month, the resolution aims to educate healthcare workers, emergency services workers, veterans, and the general public about the causes, symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments for Hepatitis C, recognizing the disease as a primary concern for humanity according to the World Health Organization.

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/K438