1Recognizing the month of April 2014 as "National Minority Health
2Month" in Pennsylvania.

3WHEREAS, In 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services
4released the National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health
5Equity and the Disparities Action Plan to reduce health care
6disparities in the United States; and

7WHEREAS, A recent analysis estimates that the economy of the
8United States loses an estimated $309 billion a year due to the
9direct and indirect costs of health disparities; and

10WHEREAS, The Department of Health and Human Services
11identified six main categories in which racial and ethnic
12minorities experience the greatest disparity access to health
13care and health outcomes, including infant mortality, cancer
14screening and management, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV
15and AIDS infection and immunizations; and

1WHEREAS, African-American women are more than twice as likely
2to die of cervical cancer than Caucasian women and are more
3likely to die of breast cancer than women of any other racial or
4ethnic group; and

5WHEREAS, The rate of death from coronary heart disease is 30%
6higher among African Americans than among Caucasians; and

7WHEREAS, The death rate from stroke is 50% higher among
8African Americans than among Caucasians; and

9WHEREAS, In 2012, native Hawaiians had more than twice the
10rate of medically diagnosed diabetes, as compared to non-
11Hispanic Caucasians living in Hawaii and were 5.7 times more
12likely to die of diabetes; and

13WHEREAS, Compared to non-Hispanic Caucasian men, African-
14American men are 9.5 times more likely to die of AIDS and
15Hispanic men are 2.5 times more likely to die of AIDS; and

16WHEREAS, The Department of Health and Human Services has
17identified heart disease malignant neoplasm, unintentional
18injuries, diabetes and cerebrovascular disease as some of the
19leading causes of death among American Indians and Alaska
20Natives; and

21WHEREAS, American Indians and Alaska Natives die at higher
22rates than other people in the United States from tuberculosis,
23diabetes, unintentional injuries and suicide; and

24WHEREAS, American Indians and Alaska Natives have a life
25expectancy that is 5.2 years shorter than the life expectancy of
26the overall population of the United States; therefore be it

27RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
28month of April 2014 as "National Minority Health Month" in
29Pennsylvania to address health disparities and promote
30sustainable improvement in the health status of all residents of

1this Commonwealth.