Would raise global awareness for deadly disease

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Pete Domenici (R-NM) today introduced a resolution making Nov. 14, “World Diabetes Day,” in an effort to increase public awareness of a disease that now affects almost 230 million people worldwide and 1.3 million people in Michigan.

“Too many people in Michigan are suffering from this debilitating disease, which is both devastating and costly,” said Stabenow. “We need to recognize the growing incidence of diabetes and focus worldwide attention on prevention and access to treatments.”

Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in Michigan and the fourth leading cause of death among African-American females. Michigan has the seventh highest rate of diabetes in the nation. The disease costs our state’s economy $6 billion a year in health costs and lost productivity. And the prevalence of diabetes is increasing in Michigan, from 5.3 percent to 7.9 percent over the past 10 years.

Worldwide, a person dies from diabetes-related causes every 10 seconds, and the death rates are predicted to rise by more than 25 percent in the next decade.

Stabenow has been recognized as a tireless advocate for diabetes awareness and treatment. She is one of the leaders in the effort to reauthorize the Special Diabetes Program in the Senate. U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) is also a cosponsor of this resolution.