III 112th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 187 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

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.