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PRINTER'S NO. 520
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 66
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY CAPPELLETTI, FONTANA, SANTARSIERO, HAYWOOD,
COMITTA, SCHWANK, HUGHES AND COSTA, APRIL 2, 2025
REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, APRIL 2, 2025
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the week of April 7 through 13, 2025, as "Public
Health Week" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, The week of April 7 through 13, 2025, is "National
Public Health Week"; and
WHEREAS, The theme for "National Public Health Week" in 2025
is "It Starts Here"; and
WHEREAS, The goal of "National Public Health Week" in 2025 is
to recognize the contributions of public health in improving the
health of people and achieving health equity; and
WHEREAS, From 2019 to 2021, the life expectancy at birth for
the population of the United States declined by 2.7 years, which
is the biggest two-year decline in life expectancy since 1921-
1923; and
WHEREAS, Many of the leading causes of death for individuals
in the United States result from chronic conditions, which are
among the most common, costly and preventable of all health
challenges; and
WHEREAS, There are significant differences in the health
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status of individuals living in the healthiest parts of this
Commonwealth and those living in the unhealthiest parts,
including differences in obesity rates, the prevalence of
chronic disease and the prevalence of infectious disease; and
WHEREAS, Racial and ethnic minority populations in this
Commonwealth continue to experience disparities in the burden of
illness and death, as compared with the entire population of
this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Violence is a leading cause of premature death, and
it is estimated that more than seven individuals per hour die a
violent death in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Deaths from homicides cost the economy of the United
States billions of dollars, and the violence of homicides can
cause social and emotional distress, community trauma, injury,
disability, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress
disorder; and
WHEREAS, An estimated one in seven children in the United
States experienced child abuse and neglect in the past year,
with 1,750 children dying of abuse and neglect in 2020; and
WHEREAS, Significant progress has been made in reducing the
infant mortality rate in the United States to a historic low of
5.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021, but there are
still stark disparities in infant mortality by race, ethnicity,
geography and income, such as the fact that Black infants
experience infant mortality at a rate twice that of white
infants; and
WHEREAS, Women die from pregnancy-related complications in
the United States at a higher rate than in many other developed
countries, with the rate of maternal mortality being 17.6 deaths
per 100,000 live births in 2019; and
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WHEREAS, An estimated 60% of maternal deaths in the United
States are preventable; and
WHEREAS, There were an estimated 107,622 drug overdose deaths
in 2021, an increase of nearly 15% from 2020; and
WHEREAS, In 2020, there were approximately 32,000 deaths in
the United States due to exposure to particulate matter, 37% of
which were directly related to fossil fuel burning; and
WHEREAS, Voting helps shape the conditions in which people
can be healthy, and good health is consistently positively
associated with higher likelihood of voter participation, but
only 53.4% of eligible adults reported voting in the November
2018 election; and
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 States; and
WHEREAS, Studies show that small strategic investments in
disease prevention can result in significant savings in health
care costs; and
WHEREAS, Vaccination is one of the most significant public
health achievements in history and has resulted in substantial
decreases in the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths
associated with vaccine-preventable diseases, along with health
care costs associated with vaccine-preventable diseases; and
WHEREAS, Public health professionals help communities
prevent, prepare for, mitigate and recover from the impact of a
full range of health threats, including disease outbreaks,
natural disasters, man-made disasters and other public health
emergencies; and
WHEREAS, Public health professionals collaborate with
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partners outside of the health sector, including city planners,
transportation officials, education officials and private sector
businesses, recognizing that other sectors can influence health
outcomes; and
WHEREAS, In communities across this Commonwealth, individuals
are changing the way they care for their health by avoiding
tobacco use, eating healthier, increasing physical activity and
preventing unintentional injuries at home and in the workplace;
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 wellness;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the week of April 7
through 13, 2025, as "Public Health Week" in Pennsylvania.
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