[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 30, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   PROGRESS REPORT ON WOMEN'S HEALTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. LOUIS STOKES

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 29, 1997

  Mr. STOKES. Speaker, I want to thank our distinguished colleagues, 
Congresswoman Connie Morella and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, for 
reserving this special order. I take pride in joining my colleagues as 
we engage in vital dialog on women's health.
  Women's health is one of the most important issues facing this 
Congress and our Nation. As a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee 
which funds health programs, I can say that substantial progress has 
been made. As a result of our efforts on the House Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, we 
have been able to increase funding for important health initiatives 
such as the Ryan White AIDS Programs, the CDC Breast and Cervical 
Cancer Early Detection Program, and the Maternal and Child Health Block 
Grant. We have also been able to direct increased Federal research 
dollars to the National Cancer Institute, the National Heart, Lung and 
Blood Institute, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious 
Disease. Yet, while we recognize that much as been accomplished, we 
must remain committed to the challenges that lie ahead.
  Mr. Speaker, I am also proud to join this special order in my 
capacity as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Health 
Braintrust. Since its founding in 1971, the Congressional Black Caucus 
[CBC] has play a crucial role in addressing the health challenges which 
impact the African-American community. When the CBC Health Braintrust 
convened last fall, a special panel closely examined issues regarding 
the health status of African-American women.
  If you look at the statistics, you will discover that African-
American women suffer disproportionately from many chronic and 
debilitating diseases. For example, African-American women are more 
likely than white women to die of breast cancer. This is in spite of 
the fact that they experience a lower rate of incidence of this disease 
than their white counterparts. According to the American Cancer 
Society, breast cancer mortality for African-American women was 31.2 
per 100,000 compared to 26.0 per 100,000 for white women.

  Cardiovascular diseases have ravaged our Nation's minority 
communities as well. African-American women are more likely than 
nonminorities to die of such diseases before age 45 and even later in 
life. In fact, studies show that African-American women between ages 35 
and 47, are 38 percent more likely to die of a heart attack than white 
women.
  Another disease taking its toll on the lives of African-American 
women is AIDS. In a recent report, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention noted that, between 1990 and 1994, the incidence of AIDS 
rose fastest among African-American women. In spite of a reported sharp 
decline in U.S. AIDS mortality during those years, the number of new 
AIDS cases in African-American women nearly doubled. During 1996, 59 
percent of all AIDS cases in women were reported in African-American 
women compared to 21 percent in white women.
  Additionally, African-American college-educated women are three times 
more likely than the general population to give birth to a low 
birthweight baby. Infants born to this group of mothers have an 80-
percent higher risk of dying during their first year of life than 
infants born to white college graduates.
  In Congress, we must support legislative initiatives that address the 
startling disparity that exists in the health and number of excess 
deaths of African-American women and other minorities. We should 
support research efforts aimed at improving the health status of all 
Americans, and we must work to increase every American's access to 
affordable health care services.
  Support of these efforts will send a signal to the American people 
that we are serious about establishing a level playing field for the 
provision of accessible and affordable health care. Such support will 
also serve as evidence of our commitment to effectively address the 
issues of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality that 
compromise the lives and health status of all women. By promoting these 
efforts we will show all women across the Nation that we are dedicated 
to providing the resources needed to find ways to improve the quality 
of life for those who suffer from disease and to finding viable methods 
of cure.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have an opportunity to participate in 
this special order. I would like to again thank my colleagues for 
bringing this important issue to the House floor.

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