PRINTER'S NO. 4416
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
1005
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY SIMS, HILL-EVANS, HANBIDGE, DRISCOLL, ULLMAN,
KULIK, LEE, McNEILL, SCHLOSSBERG, McCLINTON, BURNS, TOOHIL,
FREEMAN, HOHENSTEIN, HOWARD, SANCHEZ, MALAGARI, THOMAS,
READSHAW, KINSEY, SCHLEGEL CULVER, YOUNGBLOOD, O'MARA AND
DEASY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
SEPTEMBER 25, 2020
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing December 1, 2020, as "World AIDS Day" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, The World Health Organization established "World
AIDS Day" in 1988 to bring attention to the devastating impact
of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and remember those who have lost their
lives to the disease; and
WHEREAS, "World AIDS Day" is an opportunity to unite
individuals, organizations and local agencies across the world
to increase awareness and education about HIV/AIDS prevention,
treatment and care; and
WHEREAS, There are approximately 38 million people across the
globe living with HIV/AIDS; and
WHEREAS, Fortunately, AIDS-related deaths have been reduced
by 60% since the peak in 2004; and
WHEREAS, In 2019, approximately 690,000 deaths occurred
worldwide, compared to 1.1 million deaths worldwide in 2010; and
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WHEREAS, However, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1.2 million people are living
with HIV in the United States, with one in seven unaware of
their infection; and
WHEREAS, Populations at increased risk of HIV infection face
high levels of stigma due to their gender, sexual orientation,
gender identity, drug use or sex work; and
WHEREAS, Stigma toward people living with or at risk of HIV
discourages or delays the access of health care services,
including HIV prevention methods, HIV status testing, enrolling
in care and adhering to treatment; and
WHEREAS, The CDC reports that at the end of 2016, out of an
estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United
States, 64% received HIV medical care, 49% were retained in care
and 53% achieved viral suppression, following the HIV continuum
care model; and
WHEREAS, People living with HIV may not receive continuous
medical care for various reasons, including the cost of medical
care and HIV drugs, stigma, lack of stable housing and
transportation; and
WHEREAS, The World AIDS Campaign was launched in 1997 by
UNAIDS, the joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS, with the
mission of raising public awareness of HIV/AIDS and promoting
nonjudgmental and nondiscriminatory access to HIV prevention,
treatment and care for all human beings; and
WHEREAS, For more than 20 years, UNAIDS has helped to
position, shape and scale up the response to HIV, encouraging
dialogue and bringing in communities that have been left out of
decision making; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative that all levels of government
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recognize the various barriers that exist to HIV/AIDS
prevention, testing and care and continue to make efforts to
combat stigma and discrimination in order to improve health
outcomes for people living with HIV; and
WHEREAS, New HIV diagnoses continue at far too high a level,
with 37,968 Americans diagnosed with HIV in 2018; and
WHEREAS, Although the estimated number of annual HIV
infections in the United States declined 7% between 2014 and
2018, HIV/AIDS continues to disproportionately affect various
populations and diagnoses are not evenly distributed across
states and regions; and
WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania in 2018, the rate of new HIV
diagnosis was approximately 21 out of 100,000 of the population
amongst young adults who accounted for 13% of the overall
population; and
WHEREAS, Every year, on December 1 and throughout the month
of December, individuals and organizations across the world
speak out against the stigma and discrimination against
individuals with HIV/AIDS, and call for an increased response to
move forward to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives join other states
and countries around the world in recognizing December 1, 2020,
as "World AIDS Day" in an effort to increase awareness, provide
education about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate compassion for those
affected; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives remind the public
and government of the ongoing global challenges associated with
eradicating HIV and the essential role that communities have
played in the AIDS response at the international, national and
local levels.
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