IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 693 

Expressing support for the designation of September 9 as ‘‘National African 

Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Awareness 

(NAIRHHA) Day’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia (for himself, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. SEWELL, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. WILSON

of Florida, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, Ms. CROCKETT, Ms. 

PRESSLEY, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. JACKSON of 

Illinois, and Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of September 9 as 

‘‘National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS 

and Hepatitis Awareness (NAIRHHA) Day’’. 

Whereas the number of African immigrants and refugees living in the United States has increased by 500 percent between 1980 and 2016, and these communities are expected to continue growing at a high rate: United States 

census data have shown that the population of African 

immigrants has grown by 71 percent from 2001 to 2016 

alone; 

Whereas HIV infection rates are 6 times higher in the African immigrant population than in the general United 


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•HRES 693 IH 

States population, and are nearly twice those of United 

States-born Black individuals; 

Whereas African immigrants face the highest average chronic 

hepatitis B rates in the country, with approximately 10 

percent of these communities living with hepatitis B; 

Whereas HIV and hepatitis B and C are preventable and 

treatable conditions, and with appropriate attention and 

focus, health outcomes among African immigrant communities can be improved and lives can be saved; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that individuals born in Africa, or individuals 

born in the United States who have at least one parent 

born in Africa, who were not vaccinated at birth, should 

be prioritized for hepatitis B testing; 

Whereas African immigrant communities face significant 

challenges to HIV and viral hepatitis testing, care, and 

treatment, and though they have high rates of infection, 

they have low rates of diagnosis and care; 

Whereas challenges to HIV and viral hepatitis testing, care, 

and treatment include stigma, fear, lack of awareness 

and knowledge, language barriers, traditional values and 

social norms, and limited access to health care services, 

and there also exists a need for providers and services to 

be culturally and linguistically appropriate to better meet 

the needs of African immigrants, in keeping with the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care, 

which describe a framework to deliver services that are 

culturally and linguistically appropriate and respectful, 

and that respond to patients’ cultural health beliefs, preferences, and communication needs; 


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•HRES 693 IH 

Whereas immigration status is also associated with fear of 

health facilities, low acculturation and unfamiliarity navigating complex health care systems, social and economic 

marginalization, fear of deportation, and a lower rate of 

health insurance, all posing considerable barriers to the 

health of African immigrants and refugees living in the 

United States; 

Whereas NAIRHHA Day is a day aimed toward bringing 

local and national attention to the health issues of HIV/ 

AIDS and viral hepatitis in African immigrant and refugee populations in the United States, in a way that is 

culturally and linguistically appropriate, and by addressing some of the unique issues that African immigrants in 

the United States face through awareness, education, and 

resources, NAIRHHA Day will help empower communities to take charge of their own health; 

Whereas the objectives of NAIRHHA Day include raising 

awareness and eliminating stigma; education about protection against HIV, viral hepatitis, and other related 

diseases; placing control back within the community by 

encouraging screenings and treatment, as well as hepatitis B vaccination; and advocating for policies and practices that promote healthy African immigrant communities, families, and individuals; 

Whereas no existing HIV/AIDS awareness day addresses the 

distinct factors influencing the high rates of HIV and 

viral hepatitis in African immigrants and refugees, 

groups which are often overlooked or misclassified as 

‘‘Black’’ or ‘‘African American’’ in HIV surveillance programs, due to not collecting or reporting on information 

about country of origin; 


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•HRES 693 IH 

Whereas with the rapid population rise of African immigrants 

in the United States, it is critical to raise awareness 

among health care and social service providers and 

among African immigrant and refugee communities about 

the risk of viral hepatitis and HIV/AIDS, their potential 

consequences, and opportunities for prevention, diagnosis, 

and treatment, and as African immigrants become longterm United States residents, it will be increasingly important to provide screening, prevention, and treatment 

of chronic and infectious diseases with a culturally sensitive approach; 

Whereas building capacity within communities to promote 

knowledge, treatment, and prevention of HIV and viral 

hepatitis contributes greatly to the sustainability of the 

NAIRHHA Day initiative, for, as communities increase 

their capacity to respond to the ‘‘silent epidemics’’ of 

HIV and viral hepatitis, they will develop their own resources to continue this work; and 

Whereas by encouraging more people to get tested and seek 

treatment, NAIRHHA Day is aiding those who suffer 

now and preventing others from contracting these transmissible diseases, and by trying to lessen, if not remove, 

the stigma behind HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis, 

NAIRHHA Day is facilitating community building and 

communication: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘National Afri3 can Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS and Hepa4 titis Awareness (NAIRHHA) Day’’; 

5 (2) recognizes the importance of dedicating 

6 more attention and resources to addressing HIV/ 


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•HRES 693 IH 

1 AIDS and viral hepatitis in African immigrant and 

2 refugee communities across the United States; and 

3 (3) encourages a commitment to reducing new 

4 viral hepatitis and HIV infections and hepatitis B 

5 and C- and HIV-related deaths through more robust 

6 screening, vaccination, and linkage to treatment and 

7 care in African immigrant and refugee communities. 

Æ 


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