12 2 STA T .5 2 08CON C UR R E NT RESO L UT I ONS — OCT. 2 , 2008 isH is pan i c, an dtheCD C esti m ates that Hispanic -A me r icans acc ou nted f or 17 percent of ne w H IV infections in 20 0 6;W hereas Asian-Americans and P acific Is l anders account for 1 per- cent of new AID S cases, and N ati v e Americans and Alas k an Natives account for up to 1 percent of new AIDS cases; Whereas appro x imatel y 70 percent of new AIDS cases are racial and ethnic minorities; Whereas the CDC recently released new estimates of HIV infection, which indicate that approximately 5 6, 3 00 new HIV infections occurred in the U nited States in 2006; Whereas these new estimates are approximately 4 0 percent hi g her than the CDC ’ s previous estimates of 40,000 new infections per year; Whereas the CDC’s data confirms that the most severe impact continues to b e among gay and bisexual men of all races, and B lack men and women; Whereas the purpose of the M inority AIDS Initiative is to enable community based organi z ations and health care providers in minority communities to improve their capacity to deliver cul- turally and linguistically appropriate HIV / AIDS care and services; Whereas concerned Members of Congress, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Conference, continue to support the Minority AIDS Initiative; Whereas the Minority AIDS Initiative continues to provide funding to community-based organizations, research institutions, minority-serving colleges and universities, health care organiza- tions, State and local health departments, correctional institu- tions, and other providers of health information and services to help such entities address the HIV/AIDS epidemic within the minority populations they serve; Whereas Congress codified the Minority AIDS Initiative within the most recent reauthorization of the R yan White CAR E Act; Whereas the Minority AIDS Initiative fills gaps in HIV/AIDS out- reach, awareness, prevention, treatment, surveillance, and infra- structure across communities of color; and Whereas, O ctober 2 8 , 2008, is the 10th anniversary of the establish- ment of the Minority AIDS Initiative
Now, therefore, be it Resolv e dbyth e H o u seo f Re pr ese n t a t i ves ( the S enate c oncur - rin g),T hat the Congress —( 1 ) recognizes and commemorates the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Minority AIDS Initiative; (2) commends the efforts of community-based organizations and health care providers in minority communities to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate HIV/AIDS care and services within the minority populations they serve; (3) encourages racial and ethnic minorities and all Ameri- cans to educate themselves about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and reduce HIV related stigma; (4) encourages the Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion to appropriately address populations significantly impacted
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