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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 145 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 145

Promoting minority health awareness and supporting the goals and ideals 
 of National Minority Health Month in April 2013 to bring attention to 
 the health disparities faced by minority populations such as American 
   Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians, Blacks or African Americans, 
Hispanics or Latinos, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 16, 2013

    Mr. Cardin (for himself and Mr. Schatz) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Promoting minority health awareness and supporting the goals and ideals 
 of National Minority Health Month in April 2013 to bring attention to 
 the health disparities faced by minority populations such as American 
   Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians, Blacks or African Americans, 
Hispanics or Latinos, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.

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;
Whereas a recent analysis estimates that the economy of the United States loses 
        an estimated $309,000,000,000 a year due to the direct and indirect 
        costs of health disparities;
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has identified 6 main 
        categories in which racial and ethnic minorities experience the most 
        disparate access to health care and health outcomes, including infant 
        mortality, cancer screening and management, cardiovascular disease, 
        diabetes, HIV and AIDS infection, and immunizations;
Whereas African-American women are more than twice as likely to die of cervical 
        cancer than White women and are more likely to die of breast cancer than 
        women of any other racial or ethnic group;
Whereas the rate of death from coronary heart disease is 30 percent higher among 
        African Americans than among Whites;
Whereas the death rate from stroke is 50 percent higher among African Americans 
        than among Whites;
Whereas in 2012, as compared to non-Hispanic Whites living in Hawaii, Native 
        Hawaiians had more than twice the rate of medically-diagnosed diabetes 
        and were 5.7 times more likely to die of diabetes;
Whereas compared to non-Hispanic White 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;
Whereas in 2010, 84 percent of children born with HIV infection belonged to 
        minority groups;
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has identified diseases of 
        the heart, malignant neoplasm, unintentional injuries, diabetes, and 
        cerebrovascular disease as some of the leading causes of death among 
        American Indians and Alaska Natives;
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 5.2 
        years shorter than the life expectancy of the overall population of the 
        United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate supports the goals and ideals of National 
Minority Health Month in April 2013 to bring attention to the severe 
health disparities faced by minority populations such as American 
Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians, Blacks or African Americans, 
Hispanics or Latinos, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.
                                 <all>
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