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WHEREAS the HIV/AIDS global pandemic continues unabated, with 4.1 million of the world's population becoming newly infected with HIV in the last year; and
WHEREAS the American Association for World Health cites the number of diagnosed HIV and AIDS cases in the United States as increasing by the rate of 40,000 per year, with over half of these cases occurring among young people under the age of 25; and
WHEREAS Pennsylvania ranks 6th on the list of States with the highest number of AIDS cases, with Allegheny County being the epicenter of the disease in Southwestern Pennsylvania, accounting for 72% of the regional, live AIDS cases; and
WHEREAS the HIV/AIDS epidemic is disproportionately affecting minority populations, and in particular, the African-American community, with this group constituting 41% of current AIDS cases in the United States, while its numbers total only 14% of the general population; and
WHEREAS the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), in its commitment to observing December 1st of each year as World AIDS Day, has chosen "Accountability" as this year's theme for its "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise" campaign.
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NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby wish to thank the Southwestern Pennsylvania AIDS Planning Coalition for all of its efforts to increase awareness and understanding of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, both globally and locally.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Friday, December 1st, 2006, as World AIDS Day in the City of Pittsburgh.