Alzheimer's Association applauds inclusion of additional $100 million for Alzheimer's disease in senate funding bill
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies has allocated an additional $100 million in its fiscal year 2015 funding bill for Alzheimer's research. The Alzheimer's Association commends Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) for their ongoing commitment to Alzheimer's, a terminal disease with no means to stop prevent or slow its progression.
"This allocation, further building on the $100 million allocated in fiscal year 2014, will help to maintain the momentum established by the Alzheimer's research community toward the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's goal to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer's disease by 2025," said Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association. "The Alzheimer's Association applauds the subcommittee. We look forward to continuing our work to reach the investment levels deemed necessary by leading scientific experts on Alzheimer's disease to capitalize on scientific opportunities and end this disease."
There are currently more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease and that number is poised to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050, according the Alzheimer's Association 2013 Alzheimer's Disease Facts & Figures report. In addition to the human toll of the disease, care for Alzheimer's, the country's most expensive condition, costs the nation $203 billion annually with projections to reach $1.2 trillion by 2050. Yet for every $26,500 Medicare and Medicaid spend on caring for individuals with Alzheimer's, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) spends only $100 on Alzheimer's research.
The Alzheimer's Association encourages all parties — Senate, House of Representatives and Obama administration — to do everything possible to ensure that a final funding bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies reflects today's efforts to make Alzheimer's a national priority. For more information on Alzheimer's disease and available resources, visit the Alzheimer's Association at alz.org.
About the Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.