The inaugural meeting of the Hepatitis C Task Force was held earlier this month. The agenda was to name a chair of the task force, set a schedule, and develop goals. By unanimous consent the group nominated State Representative Michael McAuliffe as the task force chairman.
“I am honored that my colleagues have chosen me to chair the task force and help us realize our goals,” said Representative McAuliffe. “We need to raise awareness and remove the stigma about Hepatitis C and I am committed to working with the task force and my colleagues in the General Assembly to ensure that policy decisions are made.”
Hepatitis C is a growing problem in Illinois and the United States primarily with the baby boomers’ generation. In fact, new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control recommend that all baby boomers be tested. Hepatitis C is often called “The Silent Epidemic”, with Illinois having 128,509 cases of Hepatitis C in 2006, according to the Hepatitis C Index. Read more here.