HomeMy WebLinkAbout22-060 RESOLUTION NO. 22-060
A RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING APRIL 2022
AS "NATIONAL MINORITY HEALTH MONTH" IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA
WHEREAS,the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida has made the
following determinations:
1. National Minority Health Month is an inclusive effort to recognize and raise awareness of the
unique health needs, challenges, and disparities facing Black, Hispanic, Latinx, Asian American
and Pacific Islander, Indigenous and all communities of color, and to encourage action through
health education, early detection, and control of disease complications.
2. The environments in which people live, work, learn, and play have a tremendous impact on
their health; and inequities in health begin before birth and are perpetuated by social and
economic factors such as safe and affordable housing, transportation, and neighborhoods, as
well as access to affordable and quality healthy food, health insurance, education and health
care, livable wage employment, and environments free from bias and discrimination.
Communities of color make up 26.4% of St. Lucie County's total population, and significant
disparities exist that result in lower life expectancies and reduced quality of life.
3. Without a focused effort to eliminate health disparities and inequities, the burden of poor
health on people who are marginalized will multiply and the associated costs will be staggering
for everyone. Incorporating health considerations into decision-making across all sectors and
policy areas and implementing policies, practices, surveillance, and research that include a focus
on achieving health equity is the most effective and least costly way of changing the systems and
norms that contribute to health inequities. Florida law (FS 381.75) established the Office of
Minority Health and Health Equity to increase the policies, programs and practices that support
health equity in Florida and St. Lucie residents and local leaders have identified in the local health
improvement plan the need for a unified community approach to eliminate health disparities.
4. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored these underlying health and social inequities, with
national data demonstrating that racial minority groups are at an increased risk of greater
economic consequences, more severe illness, and death from COVID-19. In accordance with this
year's National Minority Month theme, "#Give Your Community A Boost"the Florida Department
of Health in St. Lucie seeks to empower the community to get the facts about COVID-19 vaccines.
St. Lucie County supports the Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie's efforts to help eliminate
health disparities, accelerate health equity, and make our citizens stronger and healthier.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie
County, Florida:
This Board does hereby proclaim April 2022, as "National Minority Health Month" in St. Lucie
County, Florida.
PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 19th day of April 2022.
ATTEST: BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ST. LUCI •UN F • 'IDA
DEPUTY CLERK y�~� AIR
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