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Untitled Comment
Sue
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 04:10 PMMore info on FAIR
Jacqueline Marcell
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 02:26 PMThe founder of the FAIR foundation, Dr. Richard Darling, has tirelessly made 100+ presentations in Washington DC to legislative health aides in the Senate and House office buildings, pointing out these vast discrepancies in funding. He stresses that when Congress allocates an across-the-board percentage increase in funding to the NIH, without redistribution to correct the present gross inequities, it is unfair for all non-AIDS illnesses.
Each year an increase in the total funding has resulted in greater disproportionate funding, so the gap between illnesses like HIV, that receives exorbitant funding, and those like Alzheimer's that don't, has grown larger and larger. Example: If Congress were to increase NIH funding by seven percent there's a compounding effect as the increase in AIDS funding would be a whopping $194 million, while Alzheimer's would only receive $43 million and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease only $4.4 million--and those diseases kill three and nine times more Americans annually!
There is an argument that AIDS deserves more funding than other illnesses because it is communicable. But why should patients suffering from non-communicable and non-preventable illnesses such as Alzheimer's, prostate disease, etc., be discriminated against because they cannot transmit their disease or because it was acquired congenitally or environmentally? That line of reasoning just doesn't make sense.
Recently, because of budgetary limitations resulting from our government's commitments, including the war in Iraq and restoring areas ravaged by hurricanes, increases for all bio-medical research funding has ceased. Therefore, it is appropriate that the existing funds get reallocated fairly now. So before BILLIONS are spent on a preventive measure (research for an HIV vaccine is pending), it is so much more appropriate that redistribution of those funds go to other illnesses--including Alzheimer's and the other fifteen maladies that kill a MILLION more American's a year than HIV/AIDS.
If reallocation happens: 61 million with cardiovascular disease, 21 million diabetics, 5.2 million with Alzheimer's, as well as multi-millions with a variety of illnesses, will applaud that an equitable funding policy change has finally been made. Approximately one million with HIV/AIDS may be dismayed for a while.
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Dear Jacqueline,
Thanks so much for this eye-opening post. It does seem inequitable that some diseases get more money for research than others. I guess the question begs why? Is it a political thing or a media game? Is it that the ones like you reference - West Nile Virus and AIDS - have more epidemic-like charateristics and might be considered more of a public health risk? Of course you could argue the straight number of patients and say there are more in other diseases.
It may be helpful to contact other groups as well to see what their take is on these numbers. Groups like the Alzheimer's Foundation of America and the Alzheimer's Association have material targeted to those afflicted with Alzheimer's as well as help for Caregivers.
If anyone has commneted to their governemnt representatives and wants to sahre with us - please post here. We'd love to here from you.
All the best, sue (moderator)