Res 0697-2026

Res No. 697 Resolution declaring July 28 as World Hepatitis Day in the City of New York to promote prevention, vaccination, testing, and access to care, and to support healthcare providers, agencies, and community organizations working to reduce the disease’s impact on the City By Council Members Maloney, Wilson, Morano, Cabán, Schulman, Hanif and Narcisse Whereas, According to the Cleveland Clinic, hepatitis is what happens when either infection or injury causes inflammation in the liver; and Whereas, Hepatitis can present either as acute, which appears and then resolves within six months, or chronic, which gets worse over time and does not resolve on its own, and be either viral, which is the most common, toxic, which one gets from exposure to chemicals or drugs, or autoimmune, which occurs when one’s immune system attacks liver tissue by mistake; and Whereas, There are several types of viral hepatitis, including hepatitis, A, B, and C, which are the most common, and hepatitis D, and E which are rarer; and Whereas, According to Mayo Clinic, common symptoms of hepatitis include feeling tired and weak, fever, not wanting to eat, joint pain, dark-colored urine, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, belly pain, and upset stomach or vomiting, though some people may not experience any symptoms and can go undiagnosed; and Whereas, According to Mayo Clinic, the best way to prevent viral hepatitis is to get vaccinated for both hepatitis A and B, with the hepatitis B vaccine also preventing hepatitis D, though there is no vaccination for hepatitis C and the vaccine for hepatitis E is only available in parts of Asia; and Whereas, Beyond vaccination, according to the Mayo Clinic, screening, early testing, and early treatment may lower the risk of some hepatitis viruses and, if infected, the risk of serious liver damage such as cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer; and Whereas, The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) releases an annual report presenting surveillance data on the most common viral hepatitis variants, A, B, and C, with the most recent report from 2024 stating that DOHMH had made strides in using disease surveillance data to facilitate the elimination of viral hepatitis in New York City as a public health threat; and Whereas, The report shows that, in 2024, 60 people were reported to have hepatitis A, 305 were reported to have acute hepatitis B, 8,029 were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, 398 people were reported to have acute hepatitis C, and 2,188 people were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C; and Whereas, Rates for acute hepatitis B and C and chronic hepatitis B rose in New York City in 2024, according to DOHMH, due to improved screening and testing, while rates of hepatitis A remained relatively consistent and rates of chronic hepatitis C have fallen slightly, which highlights both New York City’s improvement in monitoring the disease and the need to do more to prevent further infections; and Whereas, It is imperative that the City of New York continues to improve screenings, promote vaccination, and provide information to those at risk; and Whereas, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Hepatitis Day is recognized annually on July 28 to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus in 1967 and then two years later developed the first vaccination for it; now, therefore, be it Resolved, that the Council of the City of New York declares July 28 as World Hepatitis Day in the City of New York to promote prevention, vaccination, testing, and access to care, and to support healthcare providers, agencies, and community organizations working to reduce the disease’s impact on the City. JN LS 25119 8/20/2026