American Diabetes Association requests budget increase

ALEXANDRIA, Va. The American Diabetes Association last week requested that Congress include a $23.6 million increase for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Diabetes Translation for a total of $84.4 million, as well as a 7% increase for diabetes research at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases.

“We hope Congress will utilize [the fiscal 2010] budget to support essential funding for NIDDK — which conducts research to garner a better understanding of diabetes and its complications and to the DDT — which takes that research and puts it into practice in our communities,” stated George Huntley, ADA chairman. “At the same time, funding for health reform will enable Americans to prevent and better manage this devastating disease. During these difficult economic times, these requests are fiscally responsible because they hold the key to cutting the current $174 billion dollars diabetes costs our country each year.”