The American Diabetes Association (ADA) strongly urges President Bush to sign the Labor HHS Appropriations bill which will help provide for the well being of millions of people suffering from diabetes. Nearly 21 million children and adults are affected by diabetes in this country.

The bill contains $65,975,000 for the Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and $1,903,037,000 for the National Institute for Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institute of Health (NIH). The bill represents a 5 percent increase for DDT and 2.7 percent for NIDDK; this is the first increase in two years for either program.

The number of people living with diabetes in this country grew at a shocking rate of 8% this year. In fact, according to the CDC nearly 50 million Americans will be diagnosed with diabetes by 2050.

"We support the increases in the Labor-HHS funding bill for diabetes programs at both NIH and CDC. The nation has a desperate need to address the staggering growth of diabetes and we hope the President takes the responsible action in signing this bill." said John Buse, MD, PhD, ADA President, Science & Medicine.

About the ADA

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's premier voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the Association has offices in every region of the country, providing services to hundreds of communities. The Association's commitment to research is reflected through its scientific meetings; education and provider recognition programs; and its Research Foundation and Nationwide Research Program, which fund breakthrough studies looking into the cure, prevention, and treatment of diabetes and its complications.

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