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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING SICKLE CELL AWARENESS MONTH IN COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, the month of September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, a month-long initiative designated by Congress to help focus attention on the need for research and treatment of sickle cell disease; and
WHEREAS, this year’s theme designated by the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America is “Sickle Cell Matters 2021”; and
WHEREAS, Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder in which red blood cells may become sickle-shaped and harden. For a baby to be born with sickle cell disease, both parents must carry a sickle cell trait or genes. Sickle cell disease is not contagious, and there is no universal cure; and
WHEREAS, about 1 in 13 African Americans carry the sickle cell trait, and many do not know they have it, and an estimated 100,000 people in the U.S. have SCD, with approximately 2,000 babies born with SCD annually in the United States; and
WHEREAS, people of many ethnic backgrounds can have SCD, but it disproportionately affects Black and Brown Americans, with an estimated 1 in 365 Black Americans and 1 in 14,000 Hispanic Americans suffering from SCD; and
WHEREAS, Sickle Cell disease leads to complications including chronic severe and unpredictable pain, anemia, frequent infections, swelling in extremities, fatigue, delayed growth and is one of the underlying medical conditions that causes increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19, defined as hospitalization, admission to the ICU, intubation or mechanical ventilation, or death; and
WHEREAS, a recent study by the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) analyzed COVID-19 cases among a sample of people with SCD who are living in the United States between March 20, 2020, and May 21, 2020, with an average age of 28.6, and reported the following main findings: the majority had one or more SCD-related complications reported in the past. (For example, more than half had been hospitalized three or more times during the past 3 years for a pain crisis.) and 69% of patients were hospitalized during their COVID-19 illness, 11% were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and 7% died; and
WHEREAS, these findings of high hospitalization, ICU admissions, and death rates among people with COVID-19 and SCD highlight the need for people with SCD to take extra precautions to prevent COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, President Biden recently passed a proclamation declaring September as National Sickle Cell Awareness month, reaffirming our commitment to improving the quality of life and health outcomes for all individuals living with SCD by improving access to quality health care, collaborating with partners in the public and private sectors, adhering to the guidance of scientific experts and researchers, and supporting all families affected by SCD; and
WHEREAS, this national focus is essential and reinforces the National Institutes of Health (NIH) continued support of SCD research, education, and capacity building, including the “Cure Sickle Cell Initiative” to accelerate safe, effective, and scalable gene therapies to cure the disease; and
WHEREAS, because of the many advances and medical breakthroughs in genetic therapies and research, we are now closer to finding a cure for all SCD patients; and
WHEREAS, individuals can help be part of the solution by donating blood to support transfusions, especially because the pandemic has caused a critical shortage of blood, advocate for better treatment, education and research, educate others about sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait, and get tested for sickle cell trait if you are of African descent and do not know your status; and
WHEREAS, this Honorable Body wishes to promote and raise awareness of Sickle Cell Disease in Cook County and encourage everyone to be a part of this national effort to increase awareness about sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait during the month of September and stand united to improve the health of those living with this disease;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the more than 5.2 million residents of Cook County, do hereby take this opportunity to acknowledge Sickle Cell Awareness Month; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in conjunction with National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, that the month of September be hereby declared Sickle Cell Awareness Month in the County of Cook; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this text be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body.
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