[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 68 (Thursday, April 9, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19191-19192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08357]



[[Page 19189]]

Vol. 80

Thursday,

No. 68

April 9, 2015

Part IV





The President





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Proclamation 9251--National Public Health Week, 2015
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  Federal Register / Vol. 80 , No. 68 / Thursday, April 9, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 19191]]

                Proclamation 9251 of April 6, 2015

                
National Public Health Week, 2015

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Last year, as Ebola spread in West Africa--overwhelming 
                public health systems and threatening to cross more 
                borders--American women and men responded with 
                extraordinary courage and dedication, traveling to the 
                front lines of the outbreak and leading preparedness 
                efforts here at home. Driven by their sense of duty and 
                a commitment to serving a cause greater than 
                themselves, public health professionals rose to the 
                challenge at home and abroad and turned the tide of an 
                epidemic. They demonstrated what is possible when 
                America leads and when we make policy based on sound 
                science and good judgment. Their efforts represent what 
                is best about our national character and embody the 
                most basic human instinct: to leave our children a 
                safer, healthier, more prosperous world.

                As a Nation, we must continue to support public health 
                with the same sense of purpose and fierce 
                determination. This week, we join together to declare 
                our intent to rise to the challenges of a changing 
                world and meet our moral obligations to protect the 
                health of our country and the well-being of the next 
                generation.

                America's public health is deeply tied to the health of 
                our environment. As our planet becomes more 
                interconnected and our climate continues to warm, we 
                face new threats to our safety and well-being. In the 
                past three decades, the percentage of Americans with 
                asthma has more than doubled, and climate change is 
                putting these individuals and many other vulnerable 
                populations at greater risk of landing in the hospital. 
                Rising temperatures can lead to more smog, longer 
                allergy seasons, and an increased incidence of extreme-
                weather-related injuries and illnesses.

                My Administration is dedicated to combating the health 
                impacts of climate change. As part of my Climate Action 
                Plan, we have proposed the first-ever carbon pollution 
                limits for existing power plants--standards that would 
                help Americans live longer, healthier lives. And as we 
                continue to ensure the resilience of our health care 
                system, we are working to prepare our health care 
                facilities to handle the effects of a changing planet. 
                Climate change is no longer a distant threat. Its 
                effects are felt today, and its costs can be measured 
                in human lives. Every person, every community, and 
                every nation has a duty to protect the health of all 
                our children and grandchildren, and my Administration 
                is committed to leading this effort.

                The United States has faced challenges before, and each 
                time we have boldly taken responsibility for our 
                destiny and reached for the future we knew was 
                possible. Today, vaccines prevent diseases that once 
                devastated nations--and we should do more to spread the 
                facts about their benefits. After 5 years of the 
                Affordable Care Act, more than 16 million uninsured 
                Americans have gained health insurance coverage, and 
                this achievement has cut the ranks of the uninsured by 
                nearly one-third.

                We are shifting the focus of our country's health care 
                system from sickness and disease to wellness and 
                prevention. First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! 
                initiative is working to make it easier for parents and 
                children to make healthy choices about the food they 
                eat and the exercise they get every day. With partners 
                around the world, the United States launched

[[Page 19192]]

                the Global Health Security Agenda to help prevent, 
                detect, and respond to outbreaks before they become 
                epidemics. And my Administration is taking aggressive, 
                coordinated actions to slow the emergence and prevent 
                the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

                Public health is the foundation for a brighter 
                tomorrow. When we invest in the safety and well-being 
                of all Americans, we enrich our communities, bolster 
                our economy, and strengthen our Nation. During National 
                Public Health Week, we recognize public health 
                professionals and all who care for the welfare of 
                others, and we recommit to doing everything within our 
                power to build a world where every child can enjoy the 
                limitless possibilities of a healthy life.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim April 6 through April 
                12, 2015, as National Public Health Week. I call on all 
                citizens, government agencies, private businesses, non-
                profit organizations, and other groups to join in 
                activities and take action to improve the health of our 
                Nation.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2015-08357
Filed 4-8-15; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F5