Title: Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Health Week.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution expresses support for National Public Health week, recognizes the efforts of public health professionals, and encourages strengthening the public health system.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 279 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 279

    Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Health Week.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 1, 2019

    Ms. Roybal-Allard (for herself, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Wittman, Mr. 
Cardenas, Mr. Cisneros, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Cox of California, 
 Mrs. Davis of California, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Grijalva, 
   Mr. Hastings, Ms. Moore, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Sablan, and Mr. Schiff) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                         on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Health Week.

Whereas the week of April 1, 2019, through April 7, 2019, is National Public 
        Health Week;
Whereas the theme for National Public Health Week in 2019 is ``Creating the 
        Healthiest Nation: For science. For action. For health.'', with the goal 
        of recognizing the contributions of public health in improving the 
        country's health and achieving health equity;
Whereas according to the National Academy of Medicine, despite being one of the 
        wealthiest nations in the world, the United States ranks well below many 
        other economically prosperous and developing countries with respect to 
        measures of health including life expectancy, infant mortality, and 
        maternal mortality rates;
Whereas the life expectancy for the United States population declined for the 
        third year in a row, and the leading causes of deaths are among the most 
        common, costly, and preventable of all health problems;
Whereas there is a significant difference in the health status--such as obesity 
        rates, prevalence of chronic disease, and infectious disease--of people 
        living in the healthiest States compared to people living in the least 
        healthy States;
Whereas despite significant progress in reducing the United States infant 
        mortality rate to a historic low of 5.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live 
        births in 2017, the number of infant deaths in the United States greatly 
        varies among States and far outpaces that of other economically 
        prosperous and developing nations;
Whereas more women die from pregnancy-related deaths in the United States than 
        any other developed country, and an estimated 60 percent of such 
        maternal deaths are preventable;
Whereas drug overdoses more than tripled from 1999 to 2016 and have become the 
        leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with an average 
        of 130 people dying every day;
Whereas the percentage of adults smoking cigarettes in the United States, the 
        leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States and 
        accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, including more than 
        41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke, decreased from 20.9 
        percent in 2005 to 14 percent in 2017;
Whereas according to National Youth Tobacco Survey data, current electronic 
        cigarette use in the United States increased by 78 percent among high 
        school students and increased by 48 percent among middle school students 
        from 2017 to 2018;
Whereas the value of a strong public health system is in the air we breathe, the 
        water we drink, the food we eat, and the places where we all live, 
        learn, work, worship, and play;
Whereas public health organizations use National Public Health Week to educate 
        the public, policymakers, and public health professionals on issues that 
        are important to improving the health of the people of the United 
        States;
Whereas studies show that small strategic investments in prevention can result 
        in significant savings in health care costs;
Whereas vaccination is one of the most significant public health achievements in 
        history and has resulted in substantial declines in cases, 
        hospitalizations, deaths, and health care costs associated with vaccine-
        preventable diseases;
Whereas each 10-percent increase in local public health spending contributes to 
        a 6.9-percent decrease in infant deaths, a 3.2-percent decrease in 
        deaths related to cardiovascular disease, a 1.4-percent decrease in 
        deaths due to diabetes, and a 1.1-percent decrease in cancer-related 
        deaths;
Whereas public health professionals help communities prevent, prepare for, 
        withstand, and recover from the impact of a full range of health 
        threats, including disease outbreaks such as the Zika virus and measles, 
        natural disasters, and disasters caused by human activity;
Whereas public health professionals collaborate with partners that are not in 
        the health sector, such as city planners, transportation officials, 
        education officials, and private sector businesses, recognizing that 
        other sectors have an important influence on health;
Whereas in communities across the United States, people are changing the way 
        they care for their health by avoiding tobacco use, eating healthier 
        foods, becoming more physically active, and preventing unintentional 
        injuries at home and in the workplace; and
Whereas efforts to adequately support public health and disease and injury 
        prevention can continue to transform a health system focused on treating 
        illness into a health system focused on preventing disease and injury 
        and promoting wellness: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Public Health 
        Week;
            (2) recognizes the efforts of public health professionals, 
        the Federal Government, States, Tribes, municipalities, local 
        communities, and individuals in preventing disease and injury;
            (3) recognizes the role of public health in improving the 
        health of individuals in the United States;
            (4) encourages increased efforts and resources to improve 
        the health of people in the United States to create the 
        healthiest country in one generation through--
                    (A) greater opportunities to improve community 
                health and prevent disease and injury; and
                    (B) strengthening the public health system in the 
                United States; and
            (5) encourages the people of the United States to learn 
        about the role of the public health system in improving health 
        in the United States.
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