American Diabetes Association disappointed with Bush's budget cuts for
chronic disease prevention
$59 Million to be Cut From Chronic Disease Prevention & Health
Promotion
7 February 2005
ALEXANDRIA, Va, USA. The American Diabetes Association is deeply
disappointed by President Bush's proposed federal budget cuts to agencies
responsible for responding to the diabetes epidemic facing this country.
There are currently 18.2 million Americans living with diabetes and more
than 40 million with pre-diabetes. These numbers are growing. Based on
current estimates, we expect one in three children born after the year 2000
will develop diabetes before they reach age 50.
The Association is particularly concerned that the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) is slated for a 6.11% funding cut and areas
within the CDC responsible for responding to the diabetes epidemic are
slated for a 6.5% funding cut. "America is at a critical crossroads with
respect to diabetes. The nation must choose to either battle the epidemic or
turn a blind eye to those with diabetes. The ability to engage in the battle
against diabetes depends on America's commitment to providing the tools
needed to reduce the number of Americans with the disease and to finding a
cure. The CDC operates as the front line in this battle. CDC operates
essential programs such as national and state specific diabetes prevention
and control efforts, national diabetes education programs, and national
diabetes surveillance. Make no mistake, the President's budget cuts to CDC
amount to America disengaging from the fight against diabetes. Pairing a
decrease in CDC funding with near flat funding for the National Institutes
of Health is short sighted. As a nation, we simply cannot afford to turn our
back on Americans living with diabetes and call on the President and
Congress to reconsider these proposed cuts," said Lynn B. Nicholas, FACHE,
Chief Executive Officer, American Diabetes Association.
Each year, diabetes costs more than 213,000 lives and over $132 billion
in direct and indirect costs. The only way to decrease those staggering
numbers is to increase the federal investment in prevention and control
programs and toward research for a cure. The Association and its more than
37,000 advocates feel strongly that funding levels for the CDC and NIH must
be increased and will be working with Congress and the Administration to
this end.
Source: American Diabetes Association
CONTACT: Angie Montes of the American Diabetes Association,
+1-703-299-2087, or +1-202-257-9700, or
amontes@diabetes.org
Web site:
http://www.diabetes.org/
The full State of the Union address:
www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2005/index.html |