[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 72291-72292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-20129]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 172 / Thursday, September 5, 2024 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 72291]]
Proclamation 10800 of August 30, 2024
National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, 2024
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Every person in this country deserves to live a healthy
and fulfilling life, but nationwide, approximately
100,000 Americans have Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)--a
painful genetic blood disorder that causes life-
threatening complications such as strokes, infections,
and organ damage. Those living with SCD often have to
put the goals and plans of everyday life on hold
because of the chronic pain and serious health
difficulties associated with it. During National Sickle
Cell Awareness Month, we recommit to finding a cure for
SCD, supporting those who suffer from the disease, and
addressing the health disparities that exist in
communities across our Nation.
From dealing with the costs of expensive medical
treatments and unplanned hospital trips to facing
stigma and lacking access to health care providers with
SCD expertise, many living with the disease face
barriers to getting care, and there is no widely
available cure. Though SCD impacts people of all
backgrounds, it disproportionately affects Black and
Hispanic Americans. Many children in the United States
living with SCD are not receiving the treatments they
need to prevent serious complications, and adults too
often struggle with uncoordinated and fragmented care.
My Administration is working to deliver for people with
SCD and their families--and that work begins with
following the science to find new, improved treatments.
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved
the first gene therapies to treat those living with SCD
and offer long-lasting results for SCD patients. They
have also approved new drug therapies that can help
people with SCD manage pain. And the National
Institutes of Health is working to improve the quality
of life for people with SCD. Those efforts include
funding clinical trials for SCD pain management,
identifying cost-effective drugs to treat SCD, and
finding therapies that can lead to a full recovery.
At the same time, my Administration is working to make
treatment for SCD more accessible and affordable to
help close health disparities. We are empowering people
with SCD on Medicare and Medicaid to have greater
access to cell and gene therapy treatments. This will
give hope to thousands of Americans with this rare and
severe disease while improving health outcomes,
increasing access to treatment, and lowering health
care costs. The Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) is also expanding access to
quality care for those with SCD through community-based
organizations, ensuring they are taken care of no
matter if they are at home or in the hospital. HRSA
also provides resources to families whose newborns were
diagnosed with SCD from the moment they were screened
and throughout their treatment. Additionally, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded
data collection efforts to better target resources to
regions of the United States with the greatest need for
SCD support. And the Office of the National Coordinator
for Health Information Technology is improving data
collection and coordination efforts to drive more
effective research, increase integrated care, and
improve health outcomes for individuals with SCD and
their families.
[[Page 72292]]
During National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, we
recommit to finding better treatments, developing a
cure, and celebrating the courage and resilience of all
those living with this terrible disease. We also find
hope in the health care professionals, researchers, and
scientists working tirelessly to find transformative
treatments for SCD.
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 2024
as National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. I call upon
the people of the United States to learn more about
Sickle Cell Disease and the progress we are making to
reduce the burden of this disease on our fellow
Americans.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
ninth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2024-20129
Filed 9-4-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P