[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 210 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 60539-60540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24117]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 210 / Wednesday, November 3, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 60539]]


                Proclamation 10299 of October 29, 2021

                
National Diabetes Month, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Over the last 20 years, our Nation has seen a 
                significant rise in the number of adults diagnosed with 
                diabetes--a chronic condition that can lead to heart 
                disease, kidney disease, vision loss, and other serious 
                health problems. Today, more than 34 million American 
                adults are living with diabetes, and an estimated 88 
                million more may be at risk of developing the disease. 
                During National Diabetes Month, we draw awareness to 
                all forms of this dangerous condition--including Type 
                1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes and prediabetes--
                and recommit ourselves to finding a cure.

                Over the last year and a half, people living with 
                diabetes have faced heightened risks to their health, 
                as their illness makes them more vulnerable to the 
                worst effects of COVID-19. This has been especially 
                true for far too many Black, Brown, and Indigenous 
                Americans, who face a disproportionate risk of being 
                diagnosed with diabetes and who have shouldered the 
                burden of the pandemic at disproportionate rates. More 
                young Americans are also living with Type 2 diabetes 
                than ever before, putting them at risk of developing 
                serious health problems later in life. Americans who 
                are diagnosed have faced the added challenge of 
                unacceptably high insulin prices--putting their health 
                and the financial well-being of their family at risk.

                My Administration is committed to finding a cure for 
                diabetes. To that end, I have asked the Congress to 
                fund a new agency called the Advanced Research Projects 
                Agency for Health (ARPA-H). Modeled on the Defense 
                Advanced Research Project Agency, a Government program 
                that led to the creation of the Internet, GPS, and 
                countless other vital technologies--ARPA-H would 
                accelerate our research on detecting, treating, and 
                curing diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer's. In 
                addition to this effort, my Administration has provided 
                funding through the American Rescue Plan to address 
                diabetes and other chronic diseases by shoring up our 
                public health infrastructure and combatting hunger and 
                food insecurity. To lower the costs faced by more than 
                7 million Americans who require insulin to treat their 
                diabetes, I have called on the Congress to give 
                Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug 
                prices, especially for companies that do not face 
                competition.

                As we work together to fight diabetes, my 
                Administration will continue to build on the Affordable 
                Care Act (ACA) and strengthen the coverage it provides 
                for nearly 2 million American adults with diabetes. The 
                ACA continues to connect people with services and 
                health care providers who can ensure appropriate 
                testing, prevention, and treatment of diabetes and the 
                many conditions it can spawn. Millions of families 
                enrolled in private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid 
                are benefiting from the ACA's critical provisions, 
                which help Americans with diabetes live better, longer 
                lives as we continue searching for a cure.

                While we continue to seek that cure, my Administration 
                is also working to improve our awareness and prevention 
                of Type 2 diabetes. Thanks in part to the Diabetes 
                Prevention Program at the National Institutes of 
                Health, we know that lifestyle changes--including 
                increased physical activity and

[[Page 60540]]

                healthy eating--can prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes 
                for people at high risk. Eligible Americans can also 
                take part in the National Diabetes Prevention Program, 
                a lifestyle change program led by the Centers for 
                Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at sites around 
                the country. Because so many cases of diabetes go 
                undiagnosed, the CDC offers an online risk test so that 
                everyone can learn about their risk factors for the 
                disease.

                This year marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery 
                of insulin, a crucial hormone that has saved millions 
                of lives. As we continue our work to lower health care 
                costs, expand coverage, and find a cure for diabetes, 
                we commemorate this important discovery and recommit 
                ourselves to improving treatment for all types of 
                diabetes.

                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 the month of 
                November 2021 as National Diabetes Month. I call upon 
                all Americans, school systems, government agencies, 
                nonprofit organizations, health care providers, 
                research institutions, and other interested groups to 
                join in activities that raise diabetes awareness and 
                help prevent, treat, and manage the disease.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-ninth day of October, 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. 2021-24117
Filed 11-2-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P