PRINTER'S NO. 3280
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
863
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, MAY 3, 2016
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MAY 3, 2016
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of May 2016 as "Cystic Fibrosis Awareness
Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting
approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States
and nearly 70,000 children and adults worldwide, 1,659 of whom
live in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, A defective gene causes the body to produce an
abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs, and these
secretions produce life-threatening lung infections and obstruct
the pancreas, preventing digestive enzymes from reaching the
intestines to help break down and absorb food; and
WHEREAS, More than 10 million Americans are symptomless
carriers of the defective CF gene, and CF occurs in
approximately one out of every 3,500 live births in the United
States; and
WHEREAS, The median age of survival for a person with CF is
41.1 years; and
WHEREAS, With advances in the treatment of CF, the number of
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adults with CF has steadily grown, and approximately 1,000 new
cases of CF are diagnosed each year; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 50% of the CF population is 18 years of age
and older, and people with CF have a variety of symptoms
attributed to the more than 1,800 mutations of the CF gene; and
WHEREAS, Infant blood screening to detect genetic defects is
the most reliable and least costly method to identify persons
likely to have CF; and
WHEREAS, Early diagnosis of CF permits early treatment and
enhances quality of life and longevity and the treatment of CF
depends on the stage of the disease and the organs involved; and
WHEREAS, Clearing mucus from the lungs is an important part
of the daily CF treatment regimen, and other types of treatments
include inhaled antibiotics and pancreatic enzymes, among
others; and
WHEREAS, There are 11 world-class treatment centers in this
Commonwealth which specialize in the diagnosis of CF and the
care of persons with CF; and
WHEREAS, Improving the length and quality of life for people
with CF starts with awareness; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of May 2016 as "Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month" in
Pennsylvania.
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