Bill > HR249

This resolution designates the week of September 21-28, 2025, as "Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Research and Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania, highlighting the critical need to raise awareness about this serious lung disease. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating condition characterized by progressive scarring of the lungs that impairs oxygen transportation, typically leading to disability or death within three to five years of diagnosis. The resolution notes that IPF is the most common form of interstitial lung disease, with no proven cause, and is often misdiagnosed, affecting over 132,000 people in the United States, including approximately 7,000 Pennsylvanians. Despite being five times more common than cystic fibrosis and causing as many deaths as breast cancer (around 40,000 annually), IPF receives minimal research funding. The resolution aims to support increased research, awareness, and detection of the disease, recognizing organizations like the Wescoe Foundation for Pulmonary Fibrosis and the Pennsylvania Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Network for their crucial role in patient education and support.

Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=R&bn=249