2019 -- H 5954

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING THE WEEK OF APRIL 1-7, 2019, TO BE "NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH

WEEK" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Representatives Cassar, Kislak, Phillips, Canario, and Cortvriend

     Date Introduced: April 03, 2019

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, National Public Health Week is observed annually the first full week of

April. It is organized by the American Public Health Association with week-long activities

designed to educate and highlight issues that are critically important to the health of the American

people and to accomplish the goal of improving the public's general health. Each day of the week

a different theme is highlighted and discussed; and

     WHEREAS, On Monday the theme was Healthy Communities. Science has shown and

proven that the health, longevity and well-being of people are connected to the places in which

they live, work, learn, worship and play. For example, at least four million United States

households are home to children who are being exposed to high levels of lead, with about six

million homes considered to be substandard; and

     WHEREAS, Tuesday's theme is Violence Prevention. National data shows that gun-

related deaths are rising. Between 2015 and 2016, the United States was home to nearly 27,400,

homicides and nearly 45,000 suicides involving guns. These numbers are the highest levels

documented in a decade. Additionally, one in four women experience some form of partner

violence, and one of every six American women has been the victim of rape or attempted rape.

Also, in 2016, 676,000 victims of child abuse and neglect were reported to local authorities and

officials; and

     WHEREAS, Wednesday's theme is Rural Health. America's rural communities are

suffering from a host of health disparities including suffering from higher rates of chronic

diseases and from limited access to primary care and prevention services. People living in rural

areas are at a greater risk of dying from the five leading causes of death, which include heart

disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke. Suicide rates

are also higher in rural America than in urban areas, and the gap has been steadily growing since

2000; and

     WHEREAS, Thursday's focus is on Technology and Health. New technologies are

rapidly transforming the public health landscape. Examples of this phenomenon include state

environmental health tracking programs using spatial analysis and visualization methods to help

predict people's hazardous exposure risks. Online learning communities are helping health

practitioners and organizers to share best practices, and workers in our nation's health laboratories

are using the latest technology to rapidly detect, trace, and contain disease outbreaks; and

     WHEREAS, Friday's theme is Climate Change and its negative impact on the nation's

public health. Climate change is linked to more frequent and extreme natural disasters such as

hurricanes, flooding and drought, and is expected to negatively impact food security, water and

air quality, and to exacerbate the risks of vector-borne diseases such as the West Nile Virus and

Lyme Disease. Climate change is also expected to disproportionately impact already vulnerable

populations such as the elderly, children, those living in poverty, and those suffering from chronic

diseases; and

     WHEREAS, The focus for the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, is Global Health. The

health and well-being of Americans is fundamentally linked and connected to the global

community. Pandemic viruses can quickly travel throughout the globe, and therefore will require

global efforts and cooperation to track and contain such threats. Research also shows that

American investment in global health is good for the United States economy. A recent 2015 study

shows that 89 cents of every United States government dollar directed towards global health

research and development was invested in America, putting billions of dollars into the United

States economy; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby proclaims the Week of April 1-7, 2019, to be "National Public

Health Week" in the State of Rhode Island; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Governor of Rhode Island, the Honorable

Gina M. Raimondo, and to the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, Nicole

Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH.

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