Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 1.djvu/492

 102 STAT. 454

PUBLIC LAW 100-306—MAY 3, 1988

Public Law 100-306 100th Congress Joint Resolution May 3, 1988 [H.J. Res. 421]

Designating May 1988 as "National Digestive Disease Awareness Month".

Whereas digestive diseases rank third among illnesses in total economic cost in the United States; Whereas digestive diseases represent one of the Nation's most serious health problems in terms of discomfort and pain, personal expenditures for treatment, working hours lost, and mortality; Whereas 20 million Americans suffer from chronic digestive diseases; Whereas more than 14 million cases of acute digestive diseases are treated in this country each year, including Vs of all malignancies and some of the most common acute infections; Whereas more Americans are hospitalized because of digestive diseases than any other type of disease; Whereas digestive diseases necessitate 25 percent of all surgical operations; Whereas digestive diseases are one of the most prevalent causes of disability in the work force; Whereas, in the United States, digestive diseases cause yearly expenditures of over $17,000,000,000 in direct health care costs and a total annual economic burden of nearly $50,000,000,000; Whereas more than 100 different digestive diseases, and other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, each cause more than 200 deaths every year; Whereas there has been interest on the part of the research community in the causes, cures, prevention, and clinical treatment of digestive diseases and related nutritional problems; Whereas the people of the United States should recognize prevention and treatment of digestive diseases as a major health priority; Whereas national organizations, such as the Digestive Diseases National Coalition, are committed to increasing awareness and understanding of digestive diseases in the health care community and among members of the general public; Whereas the National Institutes of Health, through the National Digestive Diseases Education and Information Clearinghouse and the National Digestive Diseases Advisory Board, is committed to encouraging and coordinating such educational efforts; Whereas the National Digestive Disease Education Program is a coordinated effort to educate the public and the health care community on the seriousness of digestive diseases and to provide information relative to the treatment, prevention, and control of digestive diseases; and Whereas May 1988 marks the fourth anniversary of the National Digestive Disease Education Program: Now, therefore, be it

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