Type 1 Diabetes Community Fights for a Major Increase in Cure Research
New York, NY (PRWEB) September 08, 2016 -- On September 6, 2016, the Juvenile Diabetes Cure Alliance announced the launch of The 2nd Annual More for a Cure Petition calling on the largest diabetes fundraising organizations to substantially increase funding for type 1 diabetes cure research, which dropped to a record low in 2015.
Type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed during childhood and affects an estimated two million people in the United States. A person with the disease needs multiple injections of insulin throughout the day and must constantly monitor blood sugar levels. Long term consequences of type 1 diabetes are often dire and include eye, heart, nerve, and kidney failure.
The two largest fundraising organizations for diabetes are the ADA and JDRF. In 2015, JDRF’s income was $197 million and the ADA’s was $182 million, yet only 37% of JDRF’s income and only 3% of the ADA’s was used to fund type 1 diabetes research.
Furthermore, type 1 diabetes research grant funding has been steadily declining. Over the past five years, JDRF decreased research grant funding by 60%, dropping it to a record low in 2015. At the same time, the ADA has reduced type 1 research funding to a point where it is, at best, a secondary priority.
“We are launching the 2nd Annual More for a cure Petition because there is still a dire need for a change. There will be no cure for T1D in our lifetime unless we see a drastic shift in the amount of money going towards research,” said Phil Shaw, JDCA’s General Manager. “Supporting cure research is the number one stated priority of the T1D community, and we will continue to launch a petition every year until funding is consistent with donor wishes.”
The inaugural ‘More for a Cure Petition’ was launched in September of 2015, and gained over 20,000 signatures from people seeking an increase in T1D research spending. With research spending still on the decline, the need for the T1D community to come together and speak out against this trend is now more crucial than ever.
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About the JDCA
The JDCA is a privately funded T1D-focused nonprofit that aims to empower donors and prompt transparency in the major diabetes charities.
Sign the petition: http://petitionforacure.thejdca.org/give-our-children-a-future-free-of-diabetes/
Become an Alliance member: http://thejdca.org/join-the-alliance/
Become a fan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejdca
If you’d like more information about the petition or to schedule an interview with the JDCA General Manager Phil Shaw, please call 212-308-7433 or email bg(at)thejdca(dot)org.
Brittany Greco, Juvenile Diabetes Cure Alliance, http://www.thejdca.org, +1 212-308-7433, [email protected]
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