[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 9 (Wednesday, February 2, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E151-E152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           ARTHRITIS PREVENTION, CONTROL AND CURE ACT OF 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 2, 2005

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to join my colleague 
Representative Pickering in introducing the Arthritis Prevention, 
Control and Cure Act of 2005, which authorizes programs and funding 
that will allow the Federal Government to better coordinate and 
increase our investment in efforts to prevent, treat, and care for 
persons with arthritis and related diseases. The bill represents the 
most significant Federal effort to address arthritis since the passage 
of the National Arthritis Act a generation ago. The Arthritis 
Prevention, Control and Cure Act of 2005 addresses this important issue 
by:
  Enhancing the National Arthritis Action Plan by providing additional 
support to federal, state, and private efforts to prevent and manage 
arthritis;
  Developing a National Arthritis Education and Outreach Campaign to 
educate the healthcare profession and the public on successful self-
management strategies for controlling arthritis;
  Organizing a National Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Summit to look 
at challenges and opportunities related to basic, clinical and 
translational research and development efforts;
  Providing greater attention to the area of juvenile arthritis 
research through the creation of planning grants for innovative 
research specific to juvenile arthritis, as well as the prioritization 
of epidemiological activities focused on better understanding the 
prevalence, incidence, and outcomes associated with juvenile arthritis; 
and
  Creating incentives to encourage health professionals to enter the 
field of pediatric rheumatology through the establishment of an 
education loan repayment and career development award programs.
  Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States 
with 70 million Americans living with a form of the disease. With the

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aging of the baby boomers, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, CDC, predicts the number of people over 65 with arthritis 
or chronic joint symptoms will double by 2030. Nearly 300,000 children 
in the United States are living with a form of juvenile arthritis. 
Arthritis is a painful and debilitating chronic disease affecting men, 
women and children alike.
  Currently, the Federal investment in juvenile arthritis research is 
only $23 per affected child. The CDC estimates that the annual cost of 
medical care for arthritis is $51 billion, and the annual total costs, 
including lost productivity, exceed $86 billion. Early diagnosis, 
treatment, and appropriate management of arthritis are critical in 
controlling symptoms and improving quality of life.
  In 1975, nearly 30 years ago, Senator Alan Cranston of California 
introduced the last major piece of arthritis legislation. It was signed 
into law by President Gerald Ford. The bill, the National Arthritis 
Act, set our Nation on an important path in the fight against 
arthritis. It led to the creation of an institute at NIH focused on 
arthritis, and laid the foundation for a national arthritis public 
health strategy.
  Today, arthritis is still claiming the lives of millions of Americans 
and we must reinvigorate our research and education efforts to offer 
individuals with arthritis more hope for a better life and eventually a 
cure. I believe the Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act of 2005 
will do just that.

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