Valley Voice: AIDS hogging much-needed research funds
(Note: The
above title was inserted by the newspaper. The original title submitted by
Ms. Wit was "AIDS
Popularity Leads to Unfair Disease Funding"
By Phyllis J.
Wit
Special to The Desert Sun
November 17th, 2004
One heath care
crisis that desperately requires attention is the biased manner in which
disease research funds are being allocated by our government’s National
Institutes of Health (NIH). Are you aware that AIDS is receiving the
lion’s share of government research dollars, yet it doesn’t even come
close to killing as many Americans as diseases like each of the following:
cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes?
In fact, there are 16 diseases that are killing millions more people in
this country than AIDS. The fact that AIDS is receiving such a
ridiculously high percentage of research dollars from the NIH in
comparison to these other diseases is the reason I am bringing this to
your attention today.
I am a proud member of The FAIR Foundation – FAIR stands for "Fair
Allocations in Research" and I am submitting this Op-ed to you on
behalf of our organization. This may be the first time you have heard of
our organization, but it is far from the last. Along with myself, there
are thousands of others from Maine to Hawaii who are coming together
through the FAIR Foundation to alert America on the need for change in the
funding policies of our government for disease research.
The FAIR Foundation believes a disease’s mortality rate should be given
emphasis in determining allocations, and other secondary factors should be
utilized to ensure diseases that cause great suffering but have low
mortality rates will also receive significantly increased funding. Funds
should not be allocated based on Hollywood popularity or political
correctness.
Our government has budgeted close to 20 billion dollars for HIV/AIDS in
2005. The numbers are especially disturbing considering deaths from AIDS
have plummeted 96 percent in California’s newly infected patients and well
over 80 percent in the entire country. Indeed, AIDS deaths have plummeted
to 16,371 (2002) while cardiovascular disease kills almost a million
annually and diabetes kills more Americans than AIDS and breast cancer
combined, yet our government is spending only $40 and $80 per patient on
these diseases, respectively, compared to $3,084 on each AIDS patient.
That’s why it is time to redirect funding to diseases that are more
deserving and currently receiving billions less than AIDS.
Please endorse The FAIR Foundation’s efforts to put an end to AIDS
favoritism and recommend that all citizens join them in demanding
governmental research funding that is fair and equitable for all diseases.
Phyllis Wit is a resident of DEL WEBB'S SUN CITY in Palm Desert, CA. She
conducts a Stroke Survivors Support group and volunteers her services as a
professional Speech Pathologist to fellow residents. At
80 years of age, Phyllis is clear evidence that advocacy for fair and
equitable research distributions transcends all ages.
Join Phyllis as
an Advocate for change; it's simple and quick: send this Op-ed to President Bush and your Congresspersons and ask for their
support in obtaining fair and equitable distribution
of research funds by our government. Simply
click
here. |
