Senator Taylor getting her blood pressure checked in order to raise awareness for heart disease.
(MADISON) – In a unanimous vote, the Wisconsin State Senate voted to declare April 2017 Health and Wellness Month. The resolution was introduced by Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee).
Health and Wellness Month seeks to acknowledge the continued health disparities that persist in the City of Milwaukee. In a city with a 29% poverty rate, these disparities are based largely on socioeconomic factors. 23,000 Milwaukeeans live in a food dessert with few whole food providers while populations in these areas also report worse health outcomes. “Your zip code shouldn’t determine your health. We need to live the Pledge of Allegiance every day until we have liberty and justice for all,” said Taylor. “We must all work to eliminate racial disparities in health and wellness.
“I encourage our community to work collaboratively to break down the silos that stand in the way of meaningful solutions to racial disparities in health care. This resolution comes at an important time in our nation’s history when Americans are facing uncertainty under the threat of Trumpcare.”
Senate Joint Resolution 23 will now go to the Assembly for a vote.