Title
To recognize and acknowledge World AIDS Day and to encourage Columbus Public Health and its surrounding community partners to continue their efforts to serve and alleviate issues related to HIV, AIDS and other STDs.
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WHEREAS, World AIDS day was launched in 1988 by the World Health Organization as one of the eight global public health campaigns to raise international awareness regarding a disease that has claimed more than 35 million lives; and
WHEREAS, more than 2,200 residents have died from HIV or AIDS complications in Ohio since the epidemic began; and
WHEREAS, more than 21,000 Ohio residents live with HIV- over 4,600 reside in Franklin County; and
WHEREAS, HIV and AIDS continue to plague communities around Ohio; 215 new cases were reported in 2015; and
WHEREAS, a racial disparity exist as African Americans have an HIV/AIDS rate which is 3.7 times higher than whites; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus, expresses its appreciation for the strong partnerships which exists between the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Equitas Health, the Ohio AIDS Coalition, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Faces Program, and Columbus Public Health- who each came together on World AIDS Day and continue the crusade to reduce this disease; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus embracing its obligation to mitigate this issue for the public health and welfare of its citizens, now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby recognize World AIDS Day and adopts this resolution to raise awareness in the City of Columbus and further encourages Columbus Public Health and its surrounding community partners to continue their efforts to serve and alleviate issues related to HIV, AIDS and other STDs.