Title
Recognizing June 19, 2017 as “World Sickle Cell Awareness Day” in the City of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, Since 2008, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day has been held annually, in order to help increase public knowledge and raise awareness of Sickle Cell Disease and the struggles sufferers and their families experience; and
WHEREAS, According to the World Health Organization, Sickle Cell Disease (“SCD”) is an inherited blood disorder affecting red blood cells and is the most common genetic disease in the United States. People with SCD produce red bloods cells that contain abnormal hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Sometimes the affected red blood cells can become shaped like a sickle, or crescent, rather than the normal round shape of healthy cells. Sickle cells can then block the flow of blood through the body, damaging lung tissues, and causing incredibly painful episodes in the arms, legs, chest, and abdomen. Adults and children with SCD are often at risk for strokes; and
WHEREAS, SCD affects millions of people throughout the world and is particularly common among those whose ancestors came from sub-Saharan Africa; Spanish-speaking regions in the Western Hemisphere (South America, the Caribbean, and Central America); Saudi Arabia; India; and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Italy; and
WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), it is estimated that 100,000 individuals are affected by SCD in the United States and that approximately 3 million people in the United States are carriers. Of the individuals infected with the disease, between 65% to 70% of those individuals are classified as underserved or economically disadvantaged. Additionally, the mental and financial cost on the families battling SCD is incredibly high; and
WHEREAS, The CDC reports that approximately 1,000 babies are born with SCD each year in the United States, with the disease occurring in approximately 1 in 365 newborn African-American infants and 1 in 16,300 newborn Hispanic-American infants; and
WHEREAS, The life expectancy of an individual with SCD is often severely limited; and
WHEREAS, SCD affects so many, from our babies trying to survive to adults dealing with painful episodes and complications. It is imperative that the federal government provide additional resources to help fund research and raise public awareness of preventative care programs, treatments, and other patient services for those suffering from SCD; now, therefore, be it,
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize June 19, 2017 as “World Sickle Cell Awareness Day” in the City of Philadelphia.
End