116 STAT. 3156 CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS—OCT. 3, 2002 outcome in 6 areas: infant mortality, cancer screening, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and human immunodeficiency virus infection, and immunizations; Whereas despite notable progress in the overall health of the Nation there are continuing health disparities in the burden of illness and death experienced by African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Asians, and Pacific Islanders, compared to the United States population as a whole; Whereas minorities are more likely to die from cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, chemical dependency, diabetes, infant mortality, violence, and, in recent years, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Whereas there is a national need for scientists in the fields of biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and health services research to focus on how best to eliminate health disparities; Whereas individuals such as underrepresented minorities and women in the workforce enable society to address its diverse needs; and Whereas behavioral and social sciences research has increased awareness and understanding of factors associated with health care utilization and access, patient attitudes toward health services, and risk and protective behaviors that affect health and illness, and these factors have the potential to be modified to help close the health disparities gap among ethnic minority populations: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring). That it is the sense of the Congress that— (1) a National Minority Health and Health Disparities Month should be established to promote educational efforts on the health problems currently facing minorities and other health disparity populations; (2) the Secretary of Health and Human services should, as authorized by the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000, present public service announcements on health promotion and disease prevention among minorities and other health disparity populations in the United States and educate the public and health care professionals about health disparities; (3) the President should issue a proclamation recognizing the immediate need to reduce health disparities in the United States and encouraging all health organizations and Americans to conduct appropriate programs and activities to promote healthfulness in minority and other health disparity communities; (4) Federal, State, and local governments should work in concert with the private and nonprofit sector to emphasize the recruitment and retention of qualified individuals from racial, ethnic, and gender groups that are currently underrepresented in health care professions; (5) the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality should continue to collect and report data on health care access and utilization on patients by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and where possible, primary language, as authorized by the
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