PRINTER'S NO. 1471
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
261
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY WHEATLEY, ROZZI, BIZZARRO, SCHLOSSBERG, DAVIS,
LONGIETTI, HENNESSEY, PASHINSKI, MURT, V. BROWN, CALTAGIRONE,
NEILSON, SOLOMON, READSHAW, DiGIROLAMO, MILLARD AND KINSEY,
APRIL 18, 2017
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 18, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of April 2017 as "National Minority Health
Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, In 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services
released the National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health
Equity and the Disparities Action Plan to reduce health care
disparities in the United States; and
WHEREAS, A recent analysis estimates that the economy of the
United States loses an estimated $309 billion a year due to the
direct and indirect costs of health disparities; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Health and Human Services
identified six main categories in which racial and ethnic
minorities experience the greatest disparity access to health
care and health outcomes, including infant mortality, cancer
screening and management, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV
and AIDS infection and immunizations; and
WHEREAS, African-American women are more than twice as likely
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to die of cervical cancer than Caucasian women and are more
likely to die of breast cancer than women of any other racial or
ethnic group; and
WHEREAS, The rate of death from coronary heart disease is 30%
higher among African Americans than among Caucasians; and
WHEREAS, The death rate from stroke is 50% higher among
African Americans than among Caucasians; and
WHEREAS, In 2012, native Hawaiians had more than twice the
rate of medically diagnosed diabetes, as compared to non-
Hispanic Caucasians living in Hawaii and were 5.7 times more
likely to die of diabetes; and
WHEREAS, Compared to non-Hispanic Caucasian men, African-
American men are 9.5 times more likely to die of AIDS and
Hispanic men are 2.5 times more likely to die of AIDS; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Health and Human Services has
identified heart disease malignant neoplasm, unintentional
injuries, diabetes and cerebrovascular disease as some of the
leading causes of death among American Indians and Alaska
Natives; and
WHEREAS, American Indians and Alaska Natives die at higher
rates than other people in the United States from tuberculosis,
diabetes, unintentional injuries and suicide; and
WHEREAS, American Indians and Alaska Natives have a life
expectancy that is 4.4 years shorter than the life expectancy of
the overall population of the United States; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
month of April 2017 as "National Minority Health Month" in
Pennsylvania to address health disparities and promote
sustainable improvement in the health status of all residents of
this Commonwealth.
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