Title: A resolution promoting minority health awareness and supporting the goals and ideals of National Minority Health Month in April 2019, which include bringing attention to the health disparities faced by minority populations of the United States such as American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution expresses support for National Minority Health Month in April 2019.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 190 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 190

Promoting minority health awareness and supporting the goals and ideals 
of National Minority Health Month in April 2019, which include bringing 
 attention to the health disparities faced by minority populations of 
   the United States such as American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian 
Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Hawaiians or other 
                           Pacific Islanders.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 6, 2019

 Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Booker, Mr. 
Rubio, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Markey, 
   Mr. Hawley, Mr. Brown, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Wyden, Ms. 
  Harris, Mr. Sanders, and Ms. Cortez Masto) 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 2019, which include bringing 
 attention to the health disparities faced by minority populations of 
   the United States such as American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian 
Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Hawaiians or other 
                           Pacific Islanders.

Whereas the origin of National Minority Health Month is National Negro Health 
        Week, established in 1915 by Dr. Booker T. Washington;
Whereas the theme for National Minority Health Month in 2019 is ``Active and 
        Healthy'';
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has set goals and strategies 
        to advance the safety, health, and well-being of the people of the 
        United States;
Whereas a study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, entitled 
        ``The Economic Burden of Health Inequalities in the United States'', 
        concludes that, between 2003 and 2006, the combined cost of health 
        inequalities and premature death in the United States was 
        $1,240,000,000,000;
Whereas African American women were as likely to have been diagnosed with breast 
        cancer as non-Hispanic White women, but African American women were 
        almost 41 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than non-
        Hispanic White women between 2011 and 2015;
Whereas African American women lose their lives to cervical cancer at twice the 
        rate of non-Hispanic White women;
Whereas African American men are 60 percent more likely to die from a stroke 
        than non-Hispanic White men;
Whereas Hispanics have higher rates of end-stage renal disease caused by 
        diabetes, and are 40 percent more likely to die of diabetes, than non-
        Hispanic Whites;
Whereas the HIV diagnosis rate among Hispanic men is more than 3 times the HIV 
        diagnosis rate among non-Hispanic White men;
Whereas the HIV diagnosis rate among Hispanic women is more than 4 times the HIV 
        diagnosis rate among non-Hispanic White women;
Whereas, in 2016, although African Americans represented only 12 percent of the 
        population of the United States, African Americans accounted for 44 
        percent of HIV infections;
Whereas, in 2015, African American youth accounted for an estimated 55 percent, 
        and Hispanic youth accounted for an estimated 24 percent, of all new HIV 
        infections among youth in the United States;
Whereas, in 2016, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders were 1.6 times more 
        likely to be diagnosed with HIV than non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas Native Hawaiians living in the State of Hawaii are 2.4 times more likely 
        to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic Whites living in Hawaii;
Whereas Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are 30 percent more likely to be 
        diagnosed with cancer than non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas, although the prevalence of obesity is high among all population groups 
        in the United States, in 2015, 44 percent of American Indian and Alaska 
        Natives, 35 percent of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, 40 percent 
        of African Americans, 32 percent of Hispanics, 29 percent of non-
        Hispanic Whites, and 11 percent of Asian Americans more than 18 years 
        old were obese (not including overweight);
Whereas, in 2015, Asian Americans were 1.7 times more likely than non-Hispanic 
        Whites to contract Hepatitis A;
Whereas, among all ethnic groups in 2015, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 
        had the highest incidence of Hepatitis A;
Whereas Asian Americans are 2 times more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to 
        develop chronic Hepatitis B;
Whereas of the children living with diagnosed perinatal HIV in 2015, 64 percent 
        were African American, 15 percent were Hispanic, and 11 percent were 
        non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has identified heart 
        disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes as 4 of the 10 leading causes of 
        death among American Indians and Alaska Natives;
Whereas American Indians and Alaska Natives die from diabetes, alcoholism, 
        unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide at higher rates than other 
        people in the United States;
Whereas American Indians and Alaska Natives have a life expectancy that is 4.4 
        years shorter than the life expectancy of the overall population of the 
        United States;
Whereas African American women die from childbirth or pregnancy-related causes 
        at a rate that is 3 to 4 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic 
        White women;
Whereas African American babies are 3.2 times more likely than non-Hispanic 
        White babies to die due to complications related to low birth weight;
Whereas American Indian and Alaska Native babies are twice as likely as non-
        Hispanic White babies to die from sudden infant death syndrome;
Whereas American Indian and Alaska Natives have 1.6 times the infant mortality 
        rate as that of non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas American Indian and Alaska Native babies are 70 percent more likely to 
        die from accidental deaths before their first birthday than non-Hispanic 
        White babies;
Whereas sickle cell disease affects approximately 100,000 people in the United 
        States, occurring in approximately 1 out of every 365 African American 
        births and 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic births;
Whereas only 9.5 percent of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, 6.8 percent 
        of Asian Americans, 8 percent of Hispanics, 9 percent of African 
        Americans, and 14 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives 
        received mental health treatment or counseling in the past year, 
        compared to 18 percent of non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas marked differences in the social determinants of health can lead to poor 
        health outcomes and declines in longevity; and
Whereas community-based health care initiatives, such as prevention-focused 
        programs, present a unique opportunity to use innovative approaches to 
        improve health practices across the United States and to reduce 
        disparities among racial and ethnic minority populations: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate supports the goals and ideals of National 
Minority Health Month in April 2019, which include bringing attention 
to the health disparities faced by minority populations in the United 
States, such as American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, 
African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific 
Islanders.
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