E-petition Urges Congress, President to Create National Diabetes Coordinator

Diabetes Efforts of 18 Federal Agencies Must Be Aligned

WASHINGTON, July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Changing Diabetes((R)) Program (NCDP) recently called for the creation of a National Diabetes Coordinator to develop and implement a nationwide strategy to reduce the incidence of diabetes and its devastating complications.

A study commissioned by NCDP showed that 18 of 21 federal agencies impact the disease of diabetes. The coordinator would be responsible for establishing priorities in the fight against diabetes and aligning efforts across all agencies to eliminate duplication and maximize impact.

"While mortality rates of major diseases such as cancer, heart disease and stroke are down, diabetes rates continue to rise," said Dana Haza, Senior Director of the NCDP, an initiative created by Novo Nordisk to drive systems change at the national and local level. "It is impossible for 18 agencies to coordinate a response without designated oversight and leadership. That's why we must take immediate action to align all diabetes efforts with a national strategy if we are going to succeed in the fight against this costly and debilitating illness."

The NCDP launched an e-petition so that the diabetes community can voice its support for new government leadership dedicated to fighting diabetes and pre-diabetes, which cost the nation more than $218 billion each year in medical expenses and lost productivity. The e-petition, which is targeted to Congress and the Obama Administration and is designed to show a groundswell of support for a National Diabetes Coordinator, is available at www.ncdp.com/coordinator.

"There is no doubt that diabetes is an epidemic that needs to be addressed at the highest levels of government," Haza said. "Today there are 24 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes and another 57 million with pre-diabetes."

The coordinator would be responsible for developing and implementing a national strategy to reduce the incidence, progression and impact of diabetes by linking government agencies with public and private sector efforts. This coordination would extend across federal and state levels to community public health agencies.

"By harnessing all these government resources, we will be able to increase detection of diabetes and improve the care of those who have the disease, maximize treatment and research into new medicines, and work aggressively to prevent the disease in populations at greatest risk," said Lana Vukovljak, Chief Executive Officer at the American Association of Diabetes Educators.