[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5505]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 509--RECOGNIZING THE WEEK OF APRIL 7, 2008 TO APRIL 
              13, 2008, AS ``NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK''

  Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Kerry, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. 
Menendez, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Leahy, and Mr. 
Nelson of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 509

       Whereas the week of April 7th, 2008, is National Public 
     Health Week, and the theme is ``Climate Change: Our Health in 
     the Balance'';
       Whereas, since 1996, the American Public Health 
     Association, through its sponsorship of National Public 
     Health Week, has educated the public, policy-makers, and 
     public health professionals about issues important to 
     improving the public's health;
       Whereas, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 
     climate change is a significant and emerging threat to public 
     health and the WHO estimates that human-induced changes in 
     the Earth's climate lead to at least 5,000,000 cases of 
     illness and more than 150,000 deaths each year;
       Whereas, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on 
     Climate Change (IPCC), climate change contributes to the 
     global burden of disease, premature death, and other adverse 
     health impacts due to extreme weather events and changes in 
     infectious disease patterns, air quality, quality and 
     quantity of water and food, ecosystem changes, and economic 
     impacts;
       Whereas, according to the IPCC, the United States will be 
     challenged by increased heat waves, air pollution, and forest 
     fires during the course of the century, with potential risk 
     for adverse health impacts, such as heat stress and increases 
     in asthma, allergies, and chronic obstructive pulmonary 
     disease;
       Whereas the Director of the United States Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Julie Gerberding, 
     testified in October 2007 that, ``Climate change is 
     anticipated to have a broad range of impacts on the health of 
     Americans and the nation's public health infrastructure'';
       Whereas, according to the World Health Organization, the 
     negative public health impacts of climate change will likely 
     disproportionately impact communities that are already 
     vulnerable;
       Whereas these communities include developing countries, 
     young children, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses or 
     otherwise compromised health, people in underserved 
     communities, communities of color, traditional societies, 
     subsistence farmers, and coastal populations;
       Whereas it is estimated that more than 900,000,000 people 
     worldwide live in slum-like conditions and are particularly 
     vulnerable to the possible health impacts of climate change 
     due to a lack of access to health care, sanitation, and 
     vulnerability to displacement;
       Whereas future vulnerability to the health impacts of 
     climate change will depend not only on the degree of climate 
     change the Earth experiences, but also on development and 
     adaptation measures; and
       Whereas the public health system will be a first-line 
     responder to emergency conditions related to impacts of 
     climate change and plays a key role in informing, educating, 
     and empowering local communities: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes ``National Public Health Week'';
       (2) recognizes the efforts of public health professionals, 
     first responders, States, municipalities, and local 
     communities to incorporate measures to adapt health care 
     systems to address impacts of climate change;
       (3) recognizes the role of adaptation in preventing impacts 
     of climate change on vulnerable communities, the potential 
     for improvement of health status and health equity through 
     efforts to address climate change, and the need to include 
     health policy in the development of climate responses;
       (4) encourages further research, interdisciplinary 
     partnership, and collaboration between stakeholders to 
     understand and monitor the health impacts of climate change, 
     for preparedness activities and for improvement of health 
     care infrastructure; and
       (5) encourages each and every American to learn about the 
     impacts of climate change on health.

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