We recognize that there are needs in the black community for Sickle Cell screening, education and counseling, but these have had a low priority status until recently.
We further recognize the special significance, importance, and validity of Sickle Cell programs, but there are additional health problems that also have particular impact on the black community—such as hypertension, which is one of the most serious problems in the black community because of its inherent potential for high morbidity and mortality.
We are also concerned because hypertension afflicts over one-third of the adult black population, yet seems to be taken lightly by many health workers.
Be it therefore resolved that detection, treatment, and maintenance programs for hypertension be made a high priority item for the national community, but especially for the black community; and that public commendation be given to the American Heart Association for its national conference, "Partnership in Programming" June 2-3, 1972 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which presented a forum of black professionals, demonstrated its sensitivity to hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases in the black community, and reaffirmed its commitment to do even more in the future.