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Health and Human Services Agency recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign a Proclamation recognizing May 2017 as “Lupus Awareness Month” in El Dorado County. (Est. Time: 10 Min.)
FUNDING: N/A
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION:
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board proclaim the month of May 2017 as “Lupus Awareness Month” in the County of El Dorado.
By issuing this proclamation, the Board is supporting one of the strategic objectives of the National Public Health Agenda for Lupus by encouraging greater awareness of the disease.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
The first observance for Lupus Awareness was in 1977. That year, President Jimmy Carter signed the Public Law 95-72, which established a week long observance in honor of raising awareness for lupus. Originally the National Lupus Awareness Week was in September, but later it was moved to October and lengthened. In 2009, Lupus Awareness Month officially shifted to May.
Each May, Lupus Awareness Month is observed to increase public understanding of this mysterious and devastating disease that ravages different parts of the body. Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that is not contagious. Lupus most often develops between ages 15 and 44 and ninety percent of those diagnosed are women. Lupus can range from mild to life-threatening, and affects approximately 1.5 million Americans.
In collaboration with leading lupus and public health advocates, the National Public Health Agenda for Lupus was developed by the Lupus Foundation of America and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. The effort was made possible through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agenda identifies public health priorities, strategies, and recommendations. One of the strategic objectives is to raise awareness.
By participating in Lupus Awareness Month, the County of El Dorado Board of Supervisors is supporting an agenda that h...
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