[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 187 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 187

    Supporting national minority health awareness in order 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 17, 2011

 Mr. Cardin (for himself, Ms. Murkowski, and Mr. Begich) submitted the 
        following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Supporting national minority health awareness in order 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.

Whereas many minority populations disproportionately experience health care 
        barriers, exposure to environmental hazards, mortality, morbidity, 
        behavioral risk factors, disability status, and unique social 
        determinants of health;
Whereas the expected increase in minority populations in the near future will 
        impact the entire health system of the United States, making the 
        collective improved health of minority populations even more critical to 
        the Nation;
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has identified 6 main 
        categories in which racial and ethnic minorities experience the most 
        disparate access and health outcomes, including infant mortality, cancer 
        screening and management, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS 
        infection, and immunizations;
Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African-
        American, American Indian, and Puerto Rican infants have higher 
        mortality rates than White infants;
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 in 2006, among adults older than 44, the rate of death from coronary 
        heart disease was 20 percent higher among African Americans than among 
        Whites, and the death rate from stroke was 48 percent higher among 
        African Americans than among Whites;
Whereas in 2008, as compared to non-Hispanic Whites, African American adults 
        were 6 times more likely to have medically-diagnosed diabetes, Hispanics 
        were 1.5 times more likely to have medically-diagnosed diabetes, and 
        Asians were 1.2 times more likely to have medically-diagnosed diabetes;
Whereas African Americans and Hispanics represented only 27 percent of the 
        United States population in 2008, but accounted for an estimated 68 
        percent of adult AIDS diagnoses and 71 percent of estimated pediatric 
        AIDS diagnoses in 2008;
Whereas in 2008, Hispanics and African Americans age 65 and older were less 
        likely than non-Hispanic Whites to report having received influenza and 
        pneumococcal vaccines;
Whereas American Indians and Alaska Natives have a life expectancy that is 5.2 
        years less than the life expectancy of the population of the United 
        States overall;
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has identified diseases of 
        the heart, malignant neoplasm, unintentional injuries, diabetes, and 
        cerebrovascular disease as the 5 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 health care experts, policymakers and tribal leaders are seeking to 
        address the disproportionate disease burden and lower life expectancy 
        for the American Indian and Alaska Native people by examining various 
        factors that contribute to health status: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate supports national minority health 
awareness in order 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.
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