,,iii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #ahb ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #aj1 #bjbe,mr4 ,lujn submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,,resolution ,supporting the goals and ideals of ,national ,public ,health ,week4 ,whereas the week of ,april #g1 #bjbe1 is ,national ,public ,health ,week2 ,whereas1 in #bjbe1 the theme for ,national ,public ,health ,week is ,it ,starts ,here and highlights the importance of making a difference in our homes and communities2 ,whereas1 in #bjbe1 the goal of ,national ,public ,health ,week is to recognize the contributions of public health in-- 7#a7 improving the health of the people of the ,united ,states2 and 7#b7 achieving health equity2 ,whereas1 from #bjai to #bjba1 the life expectancy at birth for the population of the ,united ,states declined by #b4g years1 which is the biggest #b-year decline in life expectancy since #aiba to #aibc2 ,whereas many of the leading causes of death for individuals in the ,united ,states result from chronic conditions1 which are among the most common1 costly1 and preventable of all health challenges2 ,whereas there are significant differences in the health status of individuals living in the healthiest ,states and those living in the least healthy ,states1 including differences in obesity rates1 the prevalence of chronic disease1 and the prevalence of infectious disease2 ,whereas racial and ethnic minority populations in the ,united ,states continue to experience disparities in rates of illness and death1 as compared with the entire population of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas violence is a leading cause of premature death1 and it is estimated that more than #h individuals per hour die a violent death in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas deaths from homicides cost the economy of the ,united ,states billions of dollars1 and the violence of homicides can cause social and emotional distress1 community trauma1 injury1 disability1 depression1 anxiety1 and post-traumatic stress disorder2 ,whereas #di1dgf people died by suicide in #bjbb1 with firearms being used in over #ed percent of suicides2 ,whereas significant progress has been made in reducing the infant mortality rate in the ,united ,states to a historic low of #e4f infant deaths per #a1jjj live births in #bjbb1 but there are still stark disparities in infant mortality by race1 ethnicity1 geography1 and income1 such as the fact that ,black infants experience infant mortality at a rate twice that of ,white infants2 ,whereas women die from pregnancy-related complications in the ,united ,states at a higher rate than in many other developed countries1 with the rate of maternal mortality being #bb4c deaths per #ajj1jjj live births in #bjbb2 ,whereas an estimated #hj percent of maternal deaths in the ,united ,states are preventable2 ,whereas1 in #bjbb1 ,american ,indian or ,alaskan ,native mothers experienced maternal mortality at a rate twice that of ,white mothers1 and ,black mothers experienced maternal mortality at a rate #b4e times that of ,white mothers2 ,whereas1 in #bjbb1 there were an estimated #ajg1ida drug overdose deaths1 an increase of #ag percent from #bjbj and an increase of over double from #bjae2 ,whereas cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the ,united ,states1 accounting for more than #dhj1jjj deaths every year2 ,whereas the percentage of adults in the ,united ,states who smoke cigarettes has decreased from #bj4i percent of the population in #bjje to #aa4f percent of the population in #bjbb2 ,whereas e-cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco product among youth since #bjad1 with #g4h percent of high school students reporting e-cigarette use in #bjbd2 ,whereas1 in #bjbj1 there were approximately #cb1jjj deaths in the ,united ,states due to exposure to particulate matter1 #cg percent of which were directly related to fossil fuel burning2 ,whereas1 compared to #bjjj to #bjjd1 the number of heat-related deaths was approximately #gd percent more in #bjag to #bjba2 ,whereas voting helps shape the conditions in which people can be healthy2 ,whereas good health is consistently positively associated with a higher likelihood of voter participation1 but only #fd percent of eligible adults reported voting in the ,november #bjbd election2 ,whereas this year is the #cjth anniversary of celebrating ,national ,public ,health ,week1 and in the past #cj years1 significant strides have been made in public health1 including-- 7#a7 significantly decreasing the number of deaths due to ,,hiv and ,,aids1 which peaked in #aiid at #di1jie ,,aids-related deaths in the ,united ,states1 with antiretroviral therapy now ensuring most people with ,,hiv can live normal lifespans and prevention tools like ,pr,e,p significantly reducing transmission2 7#b7 decreasing smoking rates1 which were as high as #be4e percent among ,united ,states adults in #aiid and have now fallen to #aa4d percent due to comprehensive smoke-free policies1 public awareness campaigns1 and taxation policies2 7#c7 decreasing childhood mortality1 which was at a rate of #ac4h deaths per #a1jjj live births in #aiid and has now fallen to #e4d deaths per #a1jjj live births due to better health care access1 vaccines1 and nutrition2 7#d7 increasing health insurance coverage1 with #ae percent of people in the ,united ,states uninsured in #aiid1 which has now improved due to the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act 7,public ,law #aaa-adh7 expanding ,medicaid and private insurance coverage1 covering more than #ce1jjj1jjj additional people1 and lowering the uninsured rate to #h4f percent2 7#e7 increasing mental health awareness and treatment1 with #dj percent of people with mental health conditions being untreated in #aiid1 which has improved due to increased awareness1 parity laws1 and integration into primary care1 resulting in expanded access to mental health services and reduced treatment gaps2 7#f7 decreasing lead poisoning1 with #d4d percent of ,united ,states children having elevated blood lead levels in #aiid1 which has now fallen to less than #j4e percent due to policies banning leaded gasoline and reducing lead in paint1 pipes1 and water systems2 7#g7 decreasing antibiotic misuse1 which was rampant in #aiid1 fueled antibiotic resistance with no programs to combat it1 and is now being addressed by the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention's ,antibiotic ,resistance ,solutions ,initiative that champions antibiotic stewardship2 7#h7 decreasing the health impacts of climate change1 as evidenced by the rising heat-related deaths that were underrecognized in #aiid that are now being mitigated by actions such as public health campaigns and cooling centers1 as well as frameworks like the ,united ,nations ,framework ,convention on ,climate ,change's #bast ,conference of ,parties in ,paris1 ,france1 adopted ,december #ab1 #bjae 7commonly referred to as the ,paris ,agreement72 and 7#i7 increasing pandemic preparedness1 which was in its infancy in #aiid and has now grown1 especially after the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 spurring significant advancements in m,r,n,a technology1 global vaccine deployment1 and increased investments in stockpiles and global surveillance2 ,whereas proposed cuts to ,medicaid will harm people seeking health care services and inhibit public health2 ,whereas the restructuring of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services will be a step backwards in the provision of public health1 including-- 7#a7 reducing the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services workforce from #hb1jjj to #fb1jjj employees2 and 7#b7 combining the ,office of the ,assistant ,secretary for ,health1 the ,health ,resources and ,services ,administration1 the ,substance ,abuse and ,mental ,health ,services ,administration1 the ,agency for ,toxic ,substances and ,disease ,registry1 and the ,national ,institute for ,occupational ,safety and ,health into #a new agency named the ,administration for a ,healthy ,america2 ,whereas the ,national ,institutes of ,health has faced staff and funding cuts1 impeding-- 7#a7 progress towards advancing basic science and improving understanding human biology and disease2 7#b7 the development of therapeutics and devices to treat human disease and pathogenic infections2 7#c7 workforce development and the bolstering of scientific education and training2 and 7#d7 global competitiveness in scientific research and development2 ,whereas the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention has faced staff cuts and paused critical programs1 limiting the ability of the ,united ,states to-- 7#a7 respond to the ongoing measles outbreaks in at least #d ,states1 including ,texas1 ,new ,mexico1 ,ohio1 and ,kansas2 7#b7 respond to future infectious disease outbreaks1 which requires robust response from public health experts1 scientists1 and providers2 7#c7 protect the most vulnerable communities of the ,united ,states1 such as children1 the elderly1 and the immunocompromised1 from dangerous1 life-threatening infections2 and 7#d7 strengthen our national security against potential attacks using bioweapons2 ,whereas the elimination of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development endangers the public health of all people of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas public health organizations use ,national ,public ,health ,week to educate public policymakers and public health professionals on issues that are important to improving the health of the people of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas studies show that small strategic investments in disease prevention can result in significant savings in health care costs2 ,whereas vaccination is one of the most significant public health achievements in history and has resulted in substantial decreases in-- 7#a7 the number of cases1 hospitalizations1 and deaths associated with vaccine-preventable diseases2 and 7#b7 health care costs associated with vaccine-preventable diseases2 ,whereas public health professionals help communities prevent1 prepare for1 mitigate1 and recover from the impact of a full range of health threats1 including-- 7#a7 disease outbreaks1 such as the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 7#b7 natural disasters1 such as wildfires1 flooding1 and severe storms2 7#c7 other disasters1 such as disasters caused by human activity2 and 7#d7 public health emergencies2 ,whereas public health professionals collaborate with partners outside of the health sector1 including city planners1 transportation officials1 education officials1 and private sector businesses1 recognizing that other sectors can influence health outcomes2 ,whereas1 in communities across the ,united ,states1 individuals are changing the way they care for their health by avoiding tobacco use1 eating healthier1 increasing physical activity1 and preventing unintentional injuries at home and in the workplace2 and ,whereas efforts to adequately support public health and the prevention of disease and injury can continue to transform a health system focused on treating illness into a health system focused on preventing disease and injury and promoting wellness3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 supports the goals and ideals of ,national ,public ,health ,week2 7#b7 recognizes the efforts of public health professionals1 the ,federal ,government1 ,states1 ,tribes1 municipalities1 local communities1 and individuals in preventing disease and injury2 7#c7 recognizes the role of public health in-- 7,a7 preventing and responding to infectious disease outbreaks1 such as the ,,covid-#ai pandemic and the ongoing measles outbreak2 7,b7 mitigating the short-term and long-term impacts of infectious disease outbreaks on the health and wellness of individuals in the ,united ,states2 7,c7 addressing social and other determinants of health1 including health disparities experienced by minority populations2 and 7,d7 improving the overall health of individuals and communities in the ,united ,states2 7#d7 encourages increased efforts and resources to-- 7,a7 improve the health of individuals in the ,united ,states2 and 7,b7 make the ,united ,states1 in #a generation1 the healthiest ,nation in the world by-- 7i7 providing greater opportunities to improve community health and prevent disease and injury2 and 7ii7 strengthening the public health system and workforce in the ,united ,states2 and 7#e7 encourages the people of the ,united ,states to learn about the role of the public health system in improving health across the ,united ,states4