PRINTER'S NO. 142
No. 40 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY WHEATLEY, WATERS, KULA, PARKER, PAYTON, CAPPELLI, DALEY, DePASQUALE, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD, GALLOWAY, GERGELY, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, JAMES, JOSEPHS, McCALL, McGEEHAN, MURT, MYERS, OLIVER, PALLONE, RAMALEY, READSHAW, SIPTROTH AND VEREB, JANUARY 31, 2007
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, JANUARY 31, 2007
A RESOLUTION 1 Recognizing February 7, 2007, as "National Black HIV/AIDS 2 Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania. 3 WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 4 reports that the devastating effect of HIV/AIDS has reached an 5 epidemic level among African Americans; and 6 WHEREAS, At every stage--from HIV diagnosis through the death 7 of persons with AIDS--the hardest-hit racial or ethnic group is, 8 by far, African Americans; and 9 WHEREAS, Among diseases that disproportionately affect 10 African Americans, HIV/AIDS has a particularly damaging effect; 11 and 12 WHEREAS, Even though African Americans comprise approximately 13 13% of the United States population, one-half of the estimated 14 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States in 2004 were for 15 African Americans; and 16 WHEREAS, Of the more than half a million people with AIDS who
1 have died, 38% were African Americans; and 2 WHEREAS, More African-American children were afflicted with 3 AIDS in 2004 than were children of all other races and 4 ethnicities combined; and 5 WHEREAS, AIDS has become a leading cause of death for African 6 Americans; and 7 WHEREAS, African Americans with AIDS do not live as long as 8 people in other racial or ethnic groups who have AIDS; and 9 WHEREAS, In 2002, the most recent year for which data is 10 available, HIV/AIDS was the second leading cause of death for 11 all African Americans ages 35 to 44; and 12 WHEREAS, In the same year, HIV/AIDS was the number one cause 13 of death for African-American women ages 25 to 34; and 14 WHEREAS, February 7 is "National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness 15 Day"; and 16 WHEREAS, This annual observance was created to raise 17 awareness among African Americans about HIV/AIDS and its 18 devastating impact on African-American communities; and 19 WHEREAS, The day is part of a national mobilization effort to 20 encourage African Americans to learn more about the threat posed 21 by the disease, obtain testing and treatment and make a 22 commitment to fight HIV/AIDS; and 23 WHEREAS, Awareness is a vital step in stopping the spread of 24 this disease; therefore be it 25 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize 26 February 7, 2007, as "National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day" in 27 Pennsylvania to ensure that the residents of this Commonwealth 28 are aware of the destructive effect of HIV/AIDS on the African- 29 American community. L27L82BIL/20070H0040R0142 - 2 -