R 164

2021 -- H 6195 Enacted 04/06/2021

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

COMMEMORATING THE WEEK OF APRIL 5TH THOUGH APRIL 11TH OF 2021, AS "NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

Introduced By: Representatives Cassar, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Kislak, Filippi, Fellela,

Date Introduced: April 06, 2021

WHEREAS, The week of April 5th through April 11th of 2021, is National Public Health

Week, and the theme is "Building Bridges to Better Health"; and

WHEREAS, Since 1995, the American Public Health Association, through its

sponsorship of National Public Health Week, has educated the public, policymakers and public

health professionals about issues important to improving the public’s health; and

WHEREAS, Life expectancy in the United States dropped from 2014 to 2017, in the

longest sustained decline since the Great Depression and only in 2018, did life expectancy begin

to increase again. Further studies consistently show that the United States has a lower life

expectancy than comparable countries; and

WHEREAS, There is a significant difference in health status, such as obesity, poor

mental health, and drug use, among people living in rural areas compared with people living in

urban areas, and this variance increases because rural residents are often more likely to face social

determinants that negatively impact health, such as poverty, transportation barriers and lack of

economic opportunity; and

WHEREAS, Public health professionals help communities prevent, prepare for,

withstand, and recover from the impact of a full range of health threats, including disease

outbreaks such as the Covid-19 pandemic, measles, surveillance and control systems; and

WHEREAS, Public health action, together with scientific and technological advances,

has played a major role in reducing and, in some cases, eliminating the spread of infectious

disease, and in establishing today’s disease surveillance and control systems; and

WHEREAS, Six in ten United States adults have a chronic disease and four in ten have

two or more, and health issues such as alcoholism, obesity and tobacco use are the primary reason

for seven of every ten deaths annually in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The Covid-19 pandemic has illuminated and exacerbated racial inequalities

and a growing number of local governments, state governments, and public health leaders have

declared racism a public health crisis; now, therefore be it

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

commemorates the week of April 5th through April 11th of 2021, as "National Health Week" and

calls upon the people of Rhode Island to use the observation of this week to help our families,

friends, neighbors, co-workers and leaders to better understand the value of public health and

support great opportunities to adopt preventive lifestyle habits in light of this year’s theme,

"Building Bridges to Better Health"; and be it further

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

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Director Nicole-Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH,

Rhode Island Department of Health.

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LC002613

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