Full Text of SJR0016 101st General Assembly
SJ0016 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | SJ0016 | | LRB101 09067 MST 54160 r |
|
| 1 | | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, February 7, 2019 is the 19th year of commemoration | 3 | | and observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, This observance is a nationwide effort to mobilize | 5 | | Black communities to get educated, tested, treated, and | 6 | | involved with their local HIV/AIDS community efforts; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is | 8 | | directed, planned, and strategically overseen by a Strategic | 9 | | Leadership Council (SLC) made up of prominent organizations, | 10 | | including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | 11 | | and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration | 12 | | (SAMHSA), to mobilize community-based organizations and | 13 | | stakeholders involved in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and | 14 | | treatment; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Even though the number of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses | 16 | | has declined significantly since 2008, Blacks are the | 17 | | racial/ethnic group most disproportionately affected by the | 18 | | virus and account for 44 percent of all HIV infections in the | 19 | | United States, even though they make up only 12 percent of the | 20 | | U.S. population; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, More than half (53 percent) of all Blacks who |
| | | SJ0016 | - 2 - | LRB101 09067 MST 54160 r |
|
| 1 | | received an HIV diagnosis in 2017 were gay or bisexual men; and | 2 | | WHEREAS, In 2017, 330 Blacks died of HIV disease, | 3 | | accounting for 59 percent of total deaths from HIV that year in | 4 | | the U.S.; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, In 2017, Illinois ranked sixth for estimated | 6 | | number of AIDS cases and had the seventh highest number of | 7 | | diagnosed HIV infections, with 38,564 people living with HIV, | 8 | | of which 46 percent were Black even though they make up only | 9 | | 14.1 percent of the population; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, In 2017 in Illinois, Black males made up 33 | 11 | | percent of all diagnoses among all racial/ethnic groups, and | 12 | | Black females made up 12 percent of all diagnoses among | 13 | | racial/ethnic groups; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Public Health supports | 15 | | and the Getting to Zero strategy to address racial disparities | 16 | | and end HIV transmission in Illinois by 2030 and promotes the | 17 | | Text2Survive text messaging program to increase access to | 18 | | affordable, culturally appropriate testing and care services; | 19 | | and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Public Health Center | 21 | | for Minority Health Services and HIV/AIDS Section along with |
| | | SJ0016 | - 3 - | LRB101 09067 MST 54160 r |
|
| 1 | | its community partners are hosting community events throughout | 2 | | the state to recognize this day and its importance to Blacks | 3 | | and all concerned citizens; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, It is fitting that we join with these local, | 5 | | national, and international groups to express our strong | 6 | | support for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and the | 7 | | initiatives to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Black | 8 | | communities and provide access to and utilization of HIV/AIDS | 9 | | prevention, treatment, and support services to those affected | 10 | | by HIV/AIDS; therefore, be it
| 11 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 12 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | 13 | | CONCURRING HEREIN, that we declare February 7, 2019 as Black | 14 | | HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in Illinois; and be it further
| 15 | | RESOLVED, That local residents are encouraged to support | 16 | | this day and participate in events, trainings, and other | 17 | | planned activities to commemorate the occasion, as community | 18 | | involvement is crucial to eliminating stigma, debunking myths, | 19 | | promoting awareness and education, increasing access to HIV | 20 | | testing, and eradicating of the HIV virus.
|
|