New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a statement to support the World Diabetes Day 2008 campaign. The following information was released in the United States:

“Diabetes is a growing epidemic in our country. Nearly 24 million Americans are living with diabetes and another 57 million are at risk for developing it. The disease is taking an especially heartbreaking toll on children and pregnant women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in three children born since 2000 will develop diabetes. Between four to eight percent of pregnant women in the United States suffer from gestational diabetes and the numbers are growing. Each year we spend $174 billion on diabetes and its complications and the costs are rising at an alarming rate. These problems are exacerbated by insurance companies that refuse to pay for important and affordable preventive care, such as visits to nutritionists or podiatrists. But the same insurance will pay if you have to have your foot amputated. This system has got it backwards. We could save money and save lives if we put the emphasis back on wellness and prevention. I will continue to champion this common-sense approach to what has become one of the great health challenges of our time. On this World Diabetes Day let us recommit ourselves to expanding prevention, caring for those who are sick and ensuring that every American finally has quality, affordable healthcare.”

It is no surprise that Senator Clinton spoke up in support of World Diabetes Day and care for people with diabetes. In 2007 Senator Clinton joined several colleagues to introduce the Diabetes Prevention and Treatment Control Act and the Gestational Diabetes (GEDI) Act to address the growing diabetes epidemic. Senator Clinton has long championed health care reform in the United States and in October she introduced the 21st Century Wellness Trust Act aimed at prevention and wellness.

Posted onWed, 12/10/2008 - 14:56