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To urge the Congress of the United States to mitigate | 1 |
the debilitative effects of type 1 diabetes and | 2 |
excessive future health care costs by increasing | 3 |
funding to the National Institutes of Health for | 4 |
research to promote the widespread and affordable | 5 |
availability of a closed-loop diabetic system, | 6 |
referred to as the "artificial pancreas," and | 7 |
islet cell transplantation. | 8 |
WHEREAS, More than one million Americans have been diagnosed | 9 |
with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, otherwise known as type | 10 |
1 diabetes; and | 11 |
WHEREAS, Type 1 diabetes is a disease that frequently strikes | 12 |
children suddenly, makes them insulin dependent for life, and | 13 |
carries the constant threat of life-threatening complications; and | 14 |
WHEREAS, The number of diagnoses of type 1 diabetes is | 15 |
growing at an alarming rate; and | 16 |
WHEREAS, The cost of type 1 diabetes, including medical | 17 |
expenses and lost productivity, is billions of dollars per year; | 18 |
and | 19 |
WHEREAS, Type 1 diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, | 20 |
kidney failure, amputations, heart disease, and death; and | 21 |
WHEREAS, Medical and technological advances in the | 22 |
development of the closed-loop insulin delivery system and islet | 23 |
cell transplantation have created meaningful and realistic | 24 |
pathways to a cure of type 1 diabetes; and | 25 |
WHEREAS, Adequate funding for research and development of the | 26 |
closed-loop system and islet cell transplantation will result in | 27 |
positive medical outcomes for millions of Americans who are | 28 |
affected by type 1 diabetes and thereby ameliorate widespread | 29 |
human suffering and preserve billions of dollars in tax payer | 30 |
funds; and | 31 |
WHEREAS, Current levels of NIH funding designated for | 32 |
advancing the technology associated with the closed-loop system | 33 |
and islet cell transplantation are inadequate and an increase in | 34 |
funding will expedite the refining of and access to these | 35 |
important medical technologies; now therefore be it | 36 |
RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly | 37 |
of the State of Ohio, in adopting this resolution, urge the | 38 |
Congress of the United States to increase funding levels for | 39 |
research and development of the closed-loop system and islet cell | 40 |
transplantation so that those suffering from type 1 diabetes will | 41 |
have expedited access to such technology, thus enhancing health | 42 |
care while saving billions of dollars in health care costs and | 43 |
lost productivity; and be it further | 44 |
RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly | 45 |
authenticated copies of this resolution to the President Pro | 46 |
Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and | 47 |
Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and each | 48 |
member of the Ohio Congressional delegation. | 49 |