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Recognizing the week of April 5, 2021 to April 11, 2021 as National Public Health Week to celebrate public health, highlight issues critical to building healthier communities, and thank public health workers during an especially unique year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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WHEREAS, The first National Public Health Week (NPHW) was created by the American Public Health Association (APHA) as a week to recognize the contributions of public health, as well as raise awareness of the most pressing public health issues. The APHA has continued to organize the week annually for over 25 years; and
WHEREAS, This year’s theme for NPHW is “Building Bridges to Better Health” to acknowledge our unification despite physical distance due to COVID-19. Each day of the week will have a different theme, where Monday is “Rebuilding”, Tuesday is “Advancing Racial Equity”, Wednesday is “Strengthening Community”, Thursday is “Galvanizing Climate Justice”, Friday is “Constructing COVID Resilience”, Saturday is “Uplifting Mental Health and Wellness”, and Sunday is “Elevating the Essential and Health Workforce”; and
WHEREAS, NPHW emphasizes that in order to ensure everyone has the opportunity to live a long and healthy life, underlying causes of poor health and disease risk must be eliminated. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the persistent and disturbing racial and ableist disparities in public health that exist; and
WHEREAS, The years 2020 and 2021 have presented the most unique and challenging public health issues in our lifetimes. Amidst COVID-19 and the fight for racial equity, we globally continue to handle ongoing public health issues, such as climate change, mental wellness, and housing disparities; and
WHEREAS, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health will be hosting a variety of virtual events throughout the week unpacking urgent issues, such as racism and health, the COVID-19 pandemic, and maternal and child health; and
WHEREAS, Temple University College of Public Health will be hosting virtual events throughout the week showcasing and discussing community work in public health, such as public health advocacy for North Philadelphia and representation in public health; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby recognizes the week of April 5, 2021 to April 11, 2021 as National Public Health Week to celebrate public health, highlight issues critical to building healthier communities, and thank public health workers during an especially unique year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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