; and (9) efforts to address racism as a public health crisis and reduce racial and ethnic health disparities related to COVID–19 deaths, vaccine access and testing, and important health outcomes outside of the pandemic such as maternal mortality; Whereas many of the leading causes of death for individuals in the United States result from chronic conditions, which are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health challenges; Whereas there are significant differences in the health status of individuals living in the healthiest States and those living in the least healthy States, including differences in obesity rates, the prevalence of chronic diseases, and the prevalence of infectious diseases; Whereas racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States continue to experience disparities in the burdens of illness and death, as compared to the entire population of the United States; Whereas violence is a leading cause of premature death, and it is estimated that more than 7 individuals per hour die a violent death in the United States; Whereas deaths from homicides cost the economy of the United States billions of dollars, and the violence of homicides can cause social and emotional distress, community trauma, injury, disability, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder; Whereas 49,449 people died by suicide in 2022, with firearms being used in over 50 percent of suicides; Whereas an estimated 1 in 7 children in the United States experienced child abuse and neglect in the past year, with 1,750 children dying of abuse and neglect in 2020; Whereas significant progress has been made in reducing the infant mortality rate in the United States to a historic low of 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022; Whereas there are still stark disparities in infant mortality by race, ethnicity, geography, and income, as evidenced by the fact that Black infants experience infant mortality at a rate twice that of White infants