Senate Concurrent Resolution 616

(As Adopted by Senate)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO COMMEND THE EFFORTS OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN TESTING AND CONTROLLING TUBERCULOSIS, FOR INCREASING TUBERCULOSIS AWARENESS, AND TO RECOGNIZE THAT MARCH 24, 2012, IS "WORLD TUBERCULOSIS DAY."

WHEREAS, tuberculosis (TB) is the second leading global infectious disease killer, claiming 2,000,000 lives each year; and

WHEREAS, tuberculosis causes disease in approximately 100 residents of Mississippi annually, infecting an estimated 2,800 with the latent TB; and

WHEREAS, the global TB pandemic and spread of drug-resistant TB present a persistent public health threat to the United States; and

WHEREAS, according to data from the World Health Organization, 5% of all new TB cases are drug resistant; and

WHEREAS, progress towards TB elimination has slowed, and TB is a disease that does not recognize borders; and

WHEREAS, an extensively drug-resistant strain of TB, known as Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB), is very difficult and expensive to treat and has high and rapid fatality rates; and

WHEREAS, the United States had 107 cases of MDR-TB in 2010, and Mississippi had 3 cases of MDR-TB in 2010 and 2011; and

WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in 2009 that it costs $483,000.00 to treat a single case of MDR-TB; and

WHEREAS, the United States' public health system has the expertise to eliminate TB, but many state TB programs have been left seriously underfunded due to budget cuts at a time when TB cases are growing more complex to diagnose and treat; and

WHEREAS, March 24, 2012, is "World Tuberculosis Day," a day that commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby support the goals of "World Tuberculosis Day" to raise awareness about tuberculosis, commend the work of the State Department of Health on TB control, and recognize that March 24, 2012, is "World Tuberculosis Day."

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be forwarded to the State Board of Health for proper distribution and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.