Beatty Calls for Greater Investment in Stroke and TBI Research and Prevention
Beatty Calls for Greater Investment in Stroke and TBI Research and Prevention
Leads call to provide nearly $1.7 billion in federal funds to National Institute of Neurological Disorders
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) spearheaded an effort, joined by 31 additional Members of Congress, to urge the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education to provide $1,695,180,000 in funding for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders (NINDS).
Housed in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NINDS supports groundbreaking research to improve the understanding of the nervous system and harness that knowledge to reduce the effects of neurological disorders, such as stroke and TBI. Stroke affects 800,000 Americans annually, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) accounts for 2.5 million emergency visits, hospitalizations or deaths each year,
“As a stroke survivor, I know the importance of cutting-edge treatments for stroke, traumatic brain injuries, and neurological disorders, and the need for federal funds to drive research and other advancements.” Beatty said. “That is why it is imperative we continue to fund the important work and research being done by NINDS.” Beatty continued, “We must do more to assist the many servicemembers, athletes, stroke survivors and countless others affected by stroke or TBI—funding NINDS is a much-needed step in meeting this obligation.”
Currently, TBI is the leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults, while stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in America and disproportionately affects communities of color. Hundreds of neurological disorders, common and rare—including stroke and TBI—present formidable challenges to medicine that are compounded by the complexity of the brain. Federal investment is needed to support NINDS research, train investigators in the basic and clinical neurosciences, and seek better understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders.
In addition to spearheading the Appropriations letter, last year, Beatty introduced the Concussion Awareness and Education Act of 2015, H.R. 1271. This bill would create a comprehensive research program within the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the treatment, surveillance and prevention of concussion injuries.
The full letter submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education is below. The letter was signed by Representatives Beatty, Bishop (GA-02), Brown, Cartwright, Clarke, Clay, Conyers, Davis (IL-07), Donovan, Fattah, Garamendi, Jeffries, Johnson (TX-30), Kelly (IL-02), Lewis, Maloney, Nolan, Norton, Pascrell, Payne, Peters, Pocan, Rangel, Sánchez (CA-38), Schakowsky, Scott (VA-03), Sewell, Sinema, Speier, Walz, Welch, and Yarmuth.
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