[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 169 (Friday, September 3, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 49899-49900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19328]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 169 / Friday, September 3, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 49899]]


                Proclamation 10247 of August 31, 2021

                
National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Today, 100,000 Americans live with sickle cell disease 
                (SCD). The genetic disease, named for the sickle-shaped 
                red blood cells it causes, leads to severe pain, 
                serious infections, and organ damage. The severity of 
                SCD varies, with many people facing a shortened life 
                expectancy and a host of recurring, debilitating, and 
                expensive health problems.

                This condition also disproportionately affects Black 
                and Brown Americans, with an estimated 1 in 365 Black 
                Americans and 1 in 14,000 Hispanic Americans suffering 
                from it. As President, I am committed to supporting 
                those who have been hit the hardest by SCD. And during 
                National Sickle Cell Awareness month, our Nation 
                reaffirms our commitment to improving the quality of 
                life and health outcomes for all individuals living 
                with SCD.

                Our Nation's extraordinary medical professionals and 
                scientists are working tirelessly to find a cure and 
                develop improved treatments for SCD. Recent scientific 
                advances have led to effective approaches for managing 
                SCD and preventing complications, including new drug 
                therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration. 
                And while current treatments may not be universally 
                effective, researchers continue to improve existing 
                treatments, such as bone marrow transplants that can 
                effectively cure SCD in some patients. The National 
                Institutes of Health (NIH) has continued supporting SCD 
                research, education, and capacity building, including 
                the ``Cure Sickle Cell Initiative'' to accelerate safe, 
                effective, and scalable gene therapies to cure the 
                disease. As a result of the many advances and medical 
                breakthroughs in genetic therapies and research, we are 
                now closer to finding a cure for all SCD patients.

                My Administration is committed to following science, 
                delivering breakthroughs, eliminating health 
                disparities facing communities of color and other 
                underserved communities, and promoting the health and 
                wellness of all Americans.

                We will continue our efforts to improve the lives and 
                livelihoods of individuals struggling with SCD by 
                improving access to quality health care, collaborating 
                with our partners in the public and private sectors, 
                adhering to the guidance of scientific experts and 
                researchers, and supporting all families affected by 
                SCD.

                This month, we celebrate the progress made in treating 
                Americans suffering from SCD and we stand together to 
                improve the health of those living with this disease.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 2021 
                as National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. I call upon 
                the people of the United States to learn more about the 
                progress we are making to reduce the burden of this 
                disease on our fellow Americans.

[[Page 49900]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-19328
Filed 9-2-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P