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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, February 7, 2019 is the 19th year of commemoration
3and observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day; and
 
4    WHEREAS, This observance is a nationwide effort to mobilize
5Black communities to get educated, tested, treated, and
6involved with their local HIV/AIDS community efforts; and
 
7    WHEREAS, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is
8directed, planned, and strategically overseen by a Strategic
9Leadership Council (SLC) made up of prominent organizations,
10including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
11and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
12(SAMHSA), to mobilize community-based organizations and
13stakeholders involved in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and
14treatment; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Even though the number of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses
16has declined significantly since 2008, Blacks are the
17racial/ethnic group most disproportionately affected by the
18virus and account for 44 percent of all HIV infections in the
19United States, even though they make up only 12 percent of the
20U.S. population; and
 
21    WHEREAS, More than half (53 percent) of all Blacks who

 

 

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1received an HIV diagnosis in 2017 were gay or bisexual men; and
 
2    WHEREAS, In 2017, 330 Blacks died of HIV disease,
3accounting for 59 percent of total deaths from HIV that year in
4the U.S.; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In 2017, Illinois ranked sixth for estimated
6number of AIDS cases and had the seventh highest number of
7diagnosed HIV infections, with 38,564 people living with HIV,
8of which 46 percent were Black even though they make up only
914.1 percent of the population; and
 
10    WHEREAS, In 2017 in Illinois, Black males made up 33
11percent of all diagnoses among all racial/ethnic groups, and
12Black females made up 12 percent of all diagnoses among
13racial/ethnic groups; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Public Health supports
15and the Getting to Zero strategy to address racial disparities
16and end HIV transmission in Illinois by 2030 and promotes the
17Text2Survive text messaging program to increase access to
18affordable, culturally appropriate testing and care services;
19and
 
20    WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Public Health Center
21for Minority Health Services and HIV/AIDS Section along with

 

 

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1its community partners are hosting community events throughout
2the state to recognize this day and its importance to Blacks
3and all concerned citizens; and
 
4    WHEREAS, It is fitting that we join with these local,
5national, and international groups to express our strong
6support for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and the
7initiatives to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Black
8communities and provide access to and utilization of HIV/AIDS
9prevention, treatment, and support services to those affected
10by HIV/AIDS; therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
12ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
13CONCURRING HEREIN, that we declare February 7, 2019 as Black
14HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in Illinois; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That local residents are encouraged to support
16this day and participate in events, trainings, and other
17planned activities to commemorate the occasion, as community
18involvement is crucial to eliminating stigma, debunking myths,
19promoting awareness and education, increasing access to HIV
20testing, and eradicating of the HIV virus.