Title: A resolution promoting minority health awareness and supporting the goals and ideals of National Minority Health Month in April 2020, 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.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 591 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 591

Promoting minority health awareness and supporting the goals and ideals 
of National Minority Health Month in April 2020, 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 20, 2020

 Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Booker, Mr. 
 Rubio, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Boozman, Ms. Harris, Mrs. Capito, Ms. Cortez 
Masto, Mr. Sullivan, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Van Hollen, 
   Mr. Brown, Mr. Markey, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. Braun) 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 2020, 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 2020 is ``Active and 
        Healthy'';
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has set goals and strategies 
        to enhance and protect the 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 
        about 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than non-Hispanic 
        White women between 2012 and 2016;
Whereas African American women lose their lives to cervical cancer at more than 
        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 4 times the HIV diagnosis 
        rate among non-Hispanic White women;
Whereas, in 2018, although African Americans represented only 13 percent of the 
        population of the United States, African Americans accounted for 42 
        percent of new HIV diagnoses;
Whereas, in 2018, African American youth accounted for an estimated 51 percent, 
        and Hispanic youth accounted for an estimated 27 percent, of all new HIV 
        diagnoses 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, in 2018, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders were 2.5 times more 
        likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic Whites;
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, 48 percent of American Indian and Alaska Natives, 
        51 percent of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, 48 percent of 
        African Americans, 45 percent of Hispanics, 37 percent of non-Hispanic 
        Whites, and 12 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 accounted for 30 percent of chronic Hepatitis B cases, 
        and non-Hispanic Whites accounted for 13.5 percent of chronic Hepatitis 
        B cases;
Whereas of the children diagnosed with perinatal HIV in 2017, 64 percent were 
        African American, 14 percent were Hispanic, and 12 percent were non-
        Hispanic White;
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 5.5 
        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 2 to 3 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic 
        White women;
Whereas African American infants are 3.8 times more likely to die due to 
        complications related to low birth weight than non-Hispanic White 
        infants;
Whereas American Indian and Alaska Native infants are twice as likely as non-
        Hispanic White infants to die from sudden infant death syndrome;
Whereas American Indian and Alaska Natives have an infant mortality rate 
        approximately twice as high as that of non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas American Indian and Alaska Native infants are 2.7 times more likely to 
        die from accidental deaths before their first birthday than non-Hispanic 
        White infants;
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 10.9 percent of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, 6.3 percent of 
        Asian Americans, 8.8 percent of Hispanics, 8.7 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 18.6 percent of non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas preliminary evidence suggests that certain groups, such as African 
        Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians and Alaska Natives are more 
        likely than non-Hispanic Whites to develop severe COVID-19-related 
        illnesses and life-threatening symptoms;
Whereas significant differences in social determinants of health can lead to 
        poor health outcomes and declines in life expectancy; and
Whereas community-based health care initiatives, such as prevention-focused 
        programs, present a unique opportunity to use innovative approaches to 
        improve public health and health care 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 2020, 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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