[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9483 of September 1, 2016

National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

More than 10,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. Although
rare, pediatric cancer is the leading disease-related cause of death
among children. As we invest in cutting-edge research and work to
advance medical treatments to beat childhood cancer, each of us can help
carry our vision of a cancer-free future forward. Each September, we
remember those who lost their lives to cancer far too young and honor
the courageous children who bring unwavering strength and optimism to
their fight against cancer every single day, and we refocus our efforts
on striving to cure cancer once and for all.
Cancer affects children of all ages, generally without a known cause.
Over the last half-century, as cancer research and treatment has
advanced, the outlook for children with cancer has greatly improved. We
have witnessed tremendous improvements in overall survival rates, and a
larger number of long-term survivors now look forward to longer life
expectancies. Unfortunately, many face chronic health challenges or
complications after they beat their cancer. As a Nation, we must
recognize that there is more we must do to better understand and treat
pediatric cancer.
My Administration continues to invest in the critical research we need
to defeat this devastating disease. In 2014, I signed the Gabriella
Miller Kids First Research Act, which established the 10-Year Pediatric
Research Initiative Fund and has already helped divert millions of
dollars every year to advancing childhood cancer research. Through our
Precision Medicine Initiative--a bold research effort to revolutionize
our approach to treating diseases by personalizing treatment based on
specific genetic characteristics--we are already making powerful
discoveries for cancer patients and looking to transform the ways we
treat many types of cancer. And earlier this year, I tasked Vice
President Joe Biden with leading a new national effort to fight cancer.
The White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force--a collaborative effort to
make a decade's worth of progress in preventing, diagnosing, and
treating cancer in just 5 years--is working toward an ultimate goal of
eliminating cancer as we know it.
To give children with cancer the care they need and reduce the financial
burden that falls on their families, we have worked to provide quality,
affordable health care to all people. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has
helped millions of Americans access medical care and enabled them to
receive regular checkups, which can help detect cancer. Many children's
cancer centers participate in clinical trials, which are

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partly responsible for much of the progress we have made in advancing
treatment of childhood cancer; under the ACA, insurers can no longer
drop or limit coverage because of participation in one of these trials.
The ACA eliminated annual and lifetime limits on insurance coverage, and
because the law prevents insurance companies from denying or limiting
coverage for pre-existing conditions, children diagnosed with cancer now
have a better chance at a healthy life.
During National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, let us tell the
stories of the brave children who battle cancer every day and thank the
loved ones, health care professionals, and communities who lift them up.
Let us renew our commitment to prevent, treat, and cure childhood
cancer, and together ensure that all children can experience the full
and healthy upbringing they deserve.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 2016 as
National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I encourage all citizens,
government agencies, private businesses, non-profit organizations, and
other groups to join in activities that will increase awareness and
prevention of childhood cancer.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
first.
BARACK OBAMA