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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
20-9
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
February 5, 2013
To declare the month of February 2013 as “American Heart Month” in the District of Columbia, recognize and support the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement, and urge citizens to show their support for women and the fight against heart disease and stroke by commemorating February through the wearing and presentation of the color red.
WHEREAS, the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement has been impacting the health of women for 10 years and more than 627,000 women’s lives have been saved and 330 fewer women are dying every day;
WHEREAS, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, yet only one in 5 American women believe that heart disease is her greatest health threat;
WHEREAS, cardiovascular diseases cause one in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute;
WHEREAS, while progress has been significant in reducing deaths from heart disease, it is still the No. 1 killer of both women and men;
WHEREAS, cardiovascular diseases are the nation’s leading cause of death and costliest disease with direct and indirect costs estimated to be $312.6 billion;
WHEREAS, between 1999 and 2009, the rate of deaths from cardiovascular diseases fell 32.7%, but still accounted for nearly one in 3 deaths in the nation;
WHEREAS, heart disease alone is the leading cause of death in the District, accounting for 722 female deaths in 2012;
WHEREAS, stroke is the No. 3 cause of death for females in the District, accounting for 138 female deaths in 2012;
WHEREAS, heart disease and stroke account for 33.1% of all female deaths in the District;
WHEREAS, on average, nearly 2 women die from heart disease and stroke in the District each day;
WHEREAS, an estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by cardiovascular diseases;
WHEREAS, 90% percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease;
WHEREAS, women comprise only 24% of participants in all heart-related studies;
WHEREAS, since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease and the gap between men and women’s survival continues to widen;
WHEREAS, women are less likely to call 911 for themselves when experiencing symptoms of a heart attack than they are if someone else were having a heart attack;
WHEREAS, by increasing awareness, speaking up about heart disease, empowering women to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease, and recognizing the critical importance of tools and skills that will increase survival rates from cardiac arrest (and incorporating these tools into aggressive programs), thousands of lives can be saved each year;
WHEREAS, efforts of the American Heart Association encourage citizens to help save lives by calling 9-1-1 if symptoms occur, become trained in CPR, and encourage comprehensive automated external defibrillator programs in their communities; and
WHEREAS, the American Heart Association is celebrating February 2013 as American Heart Month and promoting education and awareness by encouraging citizens to learn the warning signs of heart attack and stroke.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “American Heart Month Recognition Resolution of 2013”.
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and supports the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement, urges citizens to show their support for women and the fight against heart disease and stroke by commemorating February through the wearing and presentation of the color red, and declares the month of February 2013 as “American Heart Month” in the District of Columbia.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
