PRINTER'S NO. 3177
No. 580 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY WHEATLEY, KIRKLAND, PARKER, WILLIAMS, MYERS, SURRA, DePASQUALE, SEIP, SANTONI, DiGIROLAMO, WAGNER, M. O'BRIEN, GINGRICH, BUXTON, VEREB, CURRY, McILHATTAN, WOJNAROSKI, GRUCELA, MAHONEY, KULA AND PALLONE, FEBRUARY 5, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, FEBRUARY 5, 2008
A RESOLUTION 1 Recognizing February 7, 2008, as "National Black HIV/AIDS 2 Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania. 3 WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 4 reports that the devastating effect of HIV/AIDS has reached an 5 epidemic level among African Americans; and 6 WHEREAS, At every stage--from HIV diagnosis through the death 7 of persons with AIDS--the hardest-hit racial or ethnic group is, 8 by far, African Americans; and 9 WHEREAS, Among diseases that disproportionately affect 10 African Americans, HIV/AIDS has a particularly damaging effect; 11 and 12 WHEREAS, Even though African Americans comprise approximately 13 13% of the United States population, one-half of the estimated 14 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States in 2005 were for 15 African Americans; and 16 WHEREAS, According to the 2000 census, blacks make up
1 approximately 13% of the United States population. However, in 2 2005, blacks accounted for 18,121 (49%) of the estimated 37,331 3 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States in the 33 states 4 with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting; and 5 WHEREAS, More African-American children were afflicted with 6 AIDS in 2004 than were children of all other races and 7 ethnicities combined; and 8 WHEREAS, AIDS has become a leading cause of death for African 9 Americans; and 10 WHEREAS, African Americans with AIDS do not live as long as 11 people in other racial or ethnic groups who have AIDS; and 12 WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control 2007 13 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, the number of African Americans 14 living with AIDS increased by 31% between 2001 and 2005, 15 compared to a 20% increase among caucasians; and 16 WHEREAS, In the same year, HIV/AIDS was the number one cause 17 of death for African-American women ages 25 to 34; and 18 WHEREAS, February 7 is "National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness 19 Day"; and 20 WHEREAS, This annual observance was created to raise 21 awareness among African Americans about HIV/AIDS and its 22 devastating impact on African-American communities; and 23 WHEREAS, The day is part of a national mobilization effort to 24 encourage African Americans to learn more about the threat posed 25 by the disease, obtain testing and treatment and make a 26 commitment to fight HIV/AIDS; and 27 WHEREAS, Awareness is a vital step in stopping the spread of 28 this disease; therefore be it 29 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize 30 February 7, 2008, as "National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day" in 20080H0580R3177 - 2 -
1 Pennsylvania to ensure that the residents of this Commonwealth 2 are aware of the destructive effect of HIV/AIDS on the African- 3 American community. A30L82BIL/20080H0580R3177 - 3 -