American Diabetes Association Urges Congress To Increase Essential Funding For Research & Prevention

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 13 Mar 2008 - 4:00 PST

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The American Diabetes Association (ADA), applauded Chairman Edward M. Kennedy, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Labor, Education, and Pension, for holding a hearing on, "The Broken Pipeline: Losing Opportunities in the Life Sciences." Appearing before the Committee was Dana Lewis, a young woman from Huntsville, Alabama, who battles type-1 diabetes.

Dana shared her compelling, personal account of life with the disease and pressed Congress to address the growing diabetes epidemic. Lewis, a sophomore at the University of Alabama, asked the committee to understand the nature of her daily struggle to manage her diabetes and complete everyday activities such as taking a test, driving a car, eating a meal - activities that people without diabetes may take for granted. She explained that current technologies only help fight the battle to stay healthy, while she waits for a cure. "Knowing that research for diabetes is on-going, is what keeps me fighting," said Lewis.

The economic costs of diabetes have reached a staggering $174 billion per year and nearly 21 million people are living with diabetes. Every 21 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes. If researchers are unable to keep pace with the present trends and work towards finding a cure, the incidence of diabetes will continue to increase; one in three Americans, and one in two minorities, born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

"Medical breakthroughs that could save and enhance lives are on hold, but the lives of the people whom these advances could help, are not on hold - everyday they wait, they wait for a cure," said Stewart Perry, Chair of the Board, American Diabetes Association. "Without sufficient funding, researchers cannot make the progress that they are capable of, progress that would surely improve the quality of life for people with diabetes - people like Dana."

Under the Bush Administration's budget for Fiscal Year 2009, diabetes research and prevention at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was not made the priority it needs to be. The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) was only funded at $2.6 million more than the previous fiscal year, a miniscule .15 percent increase. Additionally, funding for the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion lost $29 million, and the CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT) was reduced to $62.45 million.

"We need additional funding to maintain and increase research, to create better technologies, and to find a cure for diabetes," said Lewis. "Please help me fight diabetes…help me get a cure sooner, rather than later."

Throughout the year, policy makers will hear from diabetes advocates, including at the ADA's "Call to Congress," April 30 - May 2nd, when hundreds of diabetes advocates from across the country will meet with members of Congress to urge an increase in funding for diabetes research and prevention.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. The Association's advocacy efforts include helping to combat discrimination against people with diabetes; advocating for the increase of federal diabetes research and programs; and improved access to, and quality of, healthcare for people with diabetes. The Association's mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Founded in 1940, the Association provides service to hundreds of communities across the country.

American Diabetes Association