The FAIR Foundation is dedicated to fair and equitable distributions of Nation Institutes of Health (NIH) research funds for all diseases, including the sixteen that kill more Americans than AIDS.

Points of Interest on NIH Research Allocations as of 09/15/07

Many states have over 90 percent reduction in HIV/AIDS deaths. To see how your state is doing, click here.

HIV/AIDS killed 16,316 in 2005 in the USA. Compare to below...

Cardiovascular Disease kills 871,500 every year, yet receives over 1/2 Billion less than AIDS, which is $29 per CVD patient

The NIH is spending $3,052 on each citizen estimated as having HIV/AIDS

Diabetes kills more Americans than AIDS and breast cancer combined, yet the NIH spends only $50 on each diabetic

Alzheimer's Disease kills 3.3 times more than AIDS, yet the NIH spends only $143 on each patient with Alzheimer's Disease

Parkinson's Disease death rate similar to AIDS yet the NIH spends $136 on each patient

Prostate cancer kills 2 times more than AIDS, yet the NIH spends only $182 on each patient with prostate disease

Hepatitis C (HCV) kills 12,000, yet the NIH spends only $25 on each HCV patient

Hepatitis B (HBV) kills 5,000, yet the NIH spends only $29 on each HBV patient

The flu (influenza) on average, now kills almost 2+ times more than AIDS. Flu: $199 million
AIDS: $2.3 Billion

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Dis.) = 126,128 deaths in 2003 yet the NIH spends only $5 on each patient

West Nile Virus cases in 2006: 4,269 cases and 194 deaths, which results in $14,757 spent in research per death. 2007 cases through 7/3/07 = eleven deaths, 308 cases. Does this justify $63 million in bio- medical research?

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome estimated deaths at 2,162. HIV/AIDS deaths in children under age 13 = seven.

Total USA HIV/AIDS budget for 2007 totals just under 23 Billion. $17 Billion for care, cash & housing assistance for patients. Total AIDS Funding since day one: $$ 210 Billion dollars through 2007 (1/5th of a trillion) (From Henry J Kaiser Foundation)

The infection rate for AIDS throughout the entire world is 1 percent or less except in two countries, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. See page 8 from UNAIDS here (large file, please be patient). For a specific country, click here.

Monthly totals of AIDS in India

SARS: "Current Situation" from the CDC states "there is no known SARS transmission anywhere in the world." Research monies not disclosed by NIH. Press coverage: disproportionate.

Monkeypox cases confirmed in the USA: 37, deaths =0 in 2003. No further CDC reporting is available.

Statistical supporting links may be viewed here.

Color pie chart and graph illustrating disparities in funding.

Updates on Funding for your Disease of Interest is here.

Sixteen diseases killed a million more American than HIV/AIDS annually in 1999. There are more now.

Please take a moment to view our 28-member Board of Directors of physicians and disease advocates

Review all FAIR Newsletters

We appreciate your submitting news stories of interest to FAIR.

View a powerful 14 minute video by the American Diabetes Association and ABC Television

Every donation to FAIR counts! To make a gift in memory of a loved one or friend, to honor someone or to leave a legacy with estate planning, simply click here.

It's easy to be an advocate with a click, copy and paste using your zip code and a letter that we have prepared for you that you can send to your Congresspersons, President Bush, VP Cheney, et al. Choose one below or use both and we thank you!

1) In support of fair funding

2) In support of trial projects of new organ-donor policies to reverse America's organ donor crisis

Become an organ donor if a California resident by clicking here.

FAIR's Privacy Policy

FAIR is an acronym for Fair Allocations In Research.

FAIR is fair.

Volume 5: Issue 3

FAIR NEWSLETTER: Sept 2007

FAIR presents a new series:
Save a FAIR member's life today

With this issue of our national newsletter, we begin profiling FAIR members in need of kidney transplant and we will continue profiling similar members in the hopes that such publicity will lead to a compassionate living donor who wishes to give the "Gift of Life." Our first profile is of a gentle man, Frank Fefferman, who not only organized our "Tee Off 4 Life" golf tournament that benefited the Loma Linda University Medical Center Transplant Institute and FAIR, but he also has helped patients in need of funding by tirelessly working local fundraisers, even though he was suffering himself and learned that his wife, Linda, was in need of lung transplant. Frank and Linda have also been aggressive in promoting the new organ-donor policies that FAIR recommends. To view a poignant video profile of Frank's work for "Tee Off 4 Life" click on Frank's picture and if you'd like to pursue the possibility of donating a kidney for Frank, you may contact him at FrankFeff@aol.com or 760-321-6994.

FAIR saves lives of transplant patients in various ways

The FAIR Foundation not only has many Board members transplanting organs into dying patients daily, but our FAIR Foundation Liver Disease Support Group also assists patients who have been told there is no hope for their end-stage liver disease. Such a case recently occurred with Rich Butler (seen on left), whose wife, Marty, had been told in a local hospital there that her husband's situation was hopeless and he would die. She contacted FAIR and we referred Rich to our Board member, Dr. Hillebrand, Medical Director of Liver Transplantation for the Scripps Center for Organ & Cell Transplantation. Rich received a liver four days after arrival at Scripps. We recently rescued a woman who was sent by her physicians to hospice where she was told she had three weeks to live due to cirrhosis of the liver. She is now with the transplant team and her prognosis is very good. If you know of someone who has been told there is no hope, have them call our CEO, Dr. Darling, at 760-200-2766. Chances are good there is hope in the form of transplant. To view the Rich Butler story from the Palm Springs, CA newspaper, The Desert Sun, click on Rich Butler's picture.

FAIR submits video questions for Presidential candidates

FAIR's CEO, Dr. Darling, submitted two video questions for the Presidential debates and he pointedly asked the contenders if they will help solve America's organ-donor crisis and stop AIDS favoritism in bio-medical research funding. Click on the You Tube logo to hear his direct questions.

FAIR's CEO Communicates with UNOS's Board of
Directors: "Follow Britain's Chief Medical Officer's Lead"

Britain's Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, expressed support for the Presumed Consent (PC) organ-donor policy, which is also supported by the British Medical Association and the American Medical Association. Our CEO wrote to the Board of Directors of the organization that oversees our organ-donor policies, UNOS, and brought this to their attention and asked for their support of trial projects of PC to reverse America's organ donor crisis. He included our template letter signed by dozens of eminent physicians and organ donor advocates. You may send this letter to your Congresspersons easily with zip code technology by copying and pasting text that is prepared for you. Simply click on the UNOS logo.

An Officer of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations expressed fear about implementing these new policies to our President, Dr. Darling. There was also fear that the "hoax" Dutch television show on organ donation would be calamitous for organ donor rates. What was the effect of the show? Dutch organ donor rates have increased more than 300 percent. Perhaps those who fear even testing new organ donor policies should remember Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous quote from his first inaugural speech, "Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself." With one person dying every 82 minutes on USA waiting lists, it is clear that our present policy of "altruism" is failing to reverse America's organ donor crisis.

Yet another example that altruism is not sufficient:
in Alabama, Julie Smith dies

Many of you contributed during our fundraiser for Julie Smith who needed a new liver but had no insurance. Indeed, FAIR member and dentist, George Hardy, DDS, restored--at no charge--Julie's mouth so she could eat again. In yet another tragic example of our country's organ donor crisis, Julie passed away before she could get a new organ. If you'd like to be an advocate for new organ donor policies to reverse this crisis, click on Julie, seen here with her daughters, Katherine (L) and Samantha.

FAIR's Founder invites you to "LifeSharers"

Organs are scarce. If you are killed in an auto accident and qualify medically to be an organ donor, would you like your organs to go to another person who supports organ donation? If yes, join Dr. Darling, ABC TV's John Stossel, Nobel Prize Laureate Milton Friedman and thousands of others who have joined Dave Undis's organization "LifeSharers." Joining LifeSharers is free by clicking on their logo.

Travel with FAIR

.... to the American Diabetes Association Expo
in Long Beach, California

View the many dozens of new members who joined FAIR at our exhibit. How many? One every four minutes for six hours added their enthusiastic support for our efforts. Click the ADA logo to see many of them.

... to a Donate Life Community Conference
in Los Angeles, California

FAIR exhibited at the Donate Life Community Conference held by OneLegacy, the organ procurement organization that serves 18 million people and seven So. CA counties by overseeing all their transplants. To view pictures of the many new FAIR members that we are honored to have and read their transplant stories click here. To become an organ & tissue donor if you live in California, click the Donate Life logo.

.... to the American Diabetes Association Expo
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

It is possible that yet again one new supporter of our policies joined FAIR, on average, every 4 minutes for eight hours straight? Yes, it's true just like the avalanche of new members who joined in Phoenix, Seattle, Las Vegas, LA, etc. To view many of these new FAIR members who joined in Pittsburgh, simply click on the ADA logo to the left.

.... to Loma Linda, California

with Chaplain Leigh Aveling's class of physical therapy students at Loma Linda University. Dr. Aveling is Chaplain and Associate Professor at the School of Religion and pictures of this class/event may be viewed here.

HIV/AIDS hyperbole by the media and others..
(Editor note: FAIR is an apolitical organization)

Presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton

National media reported that "in the third primary debate at Howard University to a predominately black audience at this historically black college in the nation's capital, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton drew the night's largest cheer when she suggested, as the media has reported, that there was a hint of racism in the way AIDS is addressed in this country." Mrs. Clinton said, "Let me just put this in perspective: If HIV-AIDS were the leading cause of death of white women between the ages of 25 and 34 there would be an outraged, outcry in this country." “If we don’t begin to take it seriously and address it the way we did back in the ‘90s, when it was primarily a gay men’s disease,” Mrs. Clinton said, “we will never get the services and the public education that we need.”

FAIR Foundation: Although it is true that more African-American women have HIV/AIDS than white women, it should be noted that the National Women's Health Information Center's African-American division (an Dept of HHS org.) reports: "The leading causes of death for African American women are heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease." Overall, note the following diseases and deaths in women: heart 267,000, lung cancer 68,122, breast cancer 40,620, colo-rectal cancer 27,951, HIV/AIDS 4,128. As to HIV/AIDS having been a gay men's disease in the '90s, the CDC's most recent report states 65 percent of cases are acquired by men having sex with men and 18 percent from injection drug use with 16 percent from high risk sexual behavior ("High-risk heterosexual contact is defined by the CDC as "contact with a person known to have, or to be at high risk for, HIV infection.) and 1 percent "other." There is no "heterosexual category without high risk behaviors." In African-American women, 74 percent of HIV/AIDS cases are due to high-risk heterosexual contact and 24 percent from injection drug use.

Hillary Clinton accused of "pandering" over HIV/AIDS by
National Black Chamber of Commerce

The National Black Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Harry Alford, accused Clinton of "pandering" to the debate's predominately black audience with her comments on HIV/AIDS. "I found it interesting that [Clinton] chose a presidential debate, held before a largely African-American audience, to speak out on the fact that HIV/AIDS funding does not fairly reach African-Americans with HIV," Alford wrote, adding, "I only wish [Clinton] had voted the same way last year in the United States Senate, when we really needed her. " Clinton was one of five senators last year who sought to protect Ryan White funding from being redirected from New York and other urban areas to Southern states. Full story here

HIV affecting global mining & value of your gold

Reuters felt it important to bring to our attention that Russian and South African gold miners are causing a $5 expense increase to the price of gold because the miners are using prostitutes frequently. What a blessing that "miners worldwide are anxious to build on lessons learned in South Africa to try to stem the spread of HIV in other countries." This HIV story of questionable headline value may be viewed by clicking on the gold.

Deja Vu: India

We previously reported that the UNAIDS estimate of HIV infections for India was in error by 71 percent. In the latest statistical reporting confirmed by India's Health Minister and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we now see that UNAIDS was even worse in its estimates. The UNAIDS estimate that was promulgated in the press is in error by 128 percent, that is, the previous estimate of 5.7 million is 128 percent too high. Stay tuned for future revisions.

Two New books accuse UNAIDS of Exaggerating
HIV stats to increase donor funding

UNAIDS: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS has been called to task by two authors, one an epidemiologist, for occasionally inflating HIV/AIDS statistics in their new books. Says Chin, "There is a fine line between deliberately lying with the numbers or using the upper range of estimates that are based on slim assumptions and unrepresentative data." Click on the logo for the full story.

HIV & AIDS don't discriminate by age, experts say
Free condoms + $1 million New York senior ad campaign

The New York experts state that seniors are still having sex, therefore they should be given condoms and $1 million in education. What the experts failed to report, and by so doing spread misinformation to drug-free heterosexual seniors, is that virtually all cases of HIV are due to male to male sex, IV drug use or having sex with someone who has HIV. This small group within the senior population is the recipient of the $1 million dollar campaign.

News Headline: "HIV high in DC female inmates"

After testing thousands of female inmates in Washington, DC, the actual number with HIV is reported at 7 percent and how many is that? 44 women. Is that "high." Devon Brown, Department of Corrections director, states the figure is representative and that commercial sex work and injection drug use -- which cause HIV -- are the most common [criminal] charges among female inmates. The proper headline: "HIV rate in DC female inmates as expected" which, of course, is not worthy of headline news.

CDC admits overestimating AIDS cases by thousands

The overestimate of AIDS cases began in 2001 and ended up totaling 8.3 percent for 2005. Full story here

FAIR corrects Desert AIDS Project Director

Palm Springs, CA HIV/AIDS patients are blessed to have very wealthy donors whose contributions have made possible, as stated on their website, "free HIV testing, counseling, home health services, legal assistance, assistance with housing [in a new 80 unit apt. bldg], medications, food, re-employment, and prevention and education outreach is available to any group. As a fundraiser, D.A.P. operates 5 thrift stores." In his efforts to raise funds with raised fears about HIV/AIDS, their Director, David Brinkman (seen in picture) made statements in Palm Springs life magazine that we believe were hyperbole and not factual. Has PS Life had the courage to print our rebuttal submitted to provide factual balance? Not yet...

With all due respect to Yahoo news in this headline on the Minnesota bridge collapse, we suspect they got it wrong.

Potential cure for HIV discovered

In a breakthrough that could potentially lead to a cure for HIV infection, scientists have discovered a way to remove the virus from infected cells. With deaths in the USA from AIDS headed towards zero, this if further good news for HIV/AIDS patients. Full story, click on the Good News logo.

Expert's opinion: AIDS no longer a death sentence

At the 2007 International AIDS Society conference, AIDS expert Dr. Michel Kazatchkine (seen at left), executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria stated "I think we are done with the mortality of AIDS in treated people. Only five years ago hope was an abstract notion, now hope is a reality." To read the full story click on Michael.

HIV patients now receiving lung transplants also

FAIR's Board member, John Fung, MD, performed the first high profile liver transplant on an HIV patient. Now, Italian surgeons have performed the first lung transplant on an HIV patient. HIV patients are now receiving new lungs, livers pancreases and kidneys through organ transplant. Why? Medical infection expert Paolo Grossi says there has been a marked improvement in the last decade in the long-term survival of HIV patients and the operation was possible because of a new class of extremely effective infection drugs. Full story: click on the lungs. A special thanks to a FAIR member for bringing this story to our attention.

Hospitalization of HIV infants/children down 90 percent

Kaiser Report: hospitalizations among HIV infants and children younger than age five are decreasing 90 percent because of the introduction and widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, according to a study published in the August issue of Pediatrics, Reuters Health reports. How many children under age 13 died from AIDS? Seven.

States continuing great success against AIDS Deaths

Alaska ↓98%, Connecticut↓91%, Hawaii↓93%, Illinois ↓93%, Kentucky↓98%, Minnesota ↓90%, Oklahoma ↓97%, Pennsylvania ↓98%, W. Virginia ↓92% and so on throughout the USA reflecting the excellent success of HIV drugs, prevention education and harm reduction policies (providing clean syringes to IV drug users). Click the map to see all states and their progress.

Pregnancy Protective Against HIV Disease Progression

New data published in the October 1 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases reveal that pregnancy may actually have protective health effects for HIV-positive women. Click on the POZ site for full story.

FAIR's Board of Directors at work
In our continuing "get acquainted with the Board" series, we are
honored to profile the following Board members:

Norman Kay, 85, is the FAIR Foundation advocate for patients with prostate cancer. Norman, of Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii has practiced selling commercial real estate for over fifty years as a licensed real estate broker in CA and HI. He is an active member of the Realtor Association of Maui and the Hawaii and National Assoc of Realtors. Norman is a member of the Lahaina Rotary Club, Lahaina Yacht club and the Royal Kaanapali Golf Club.

Donald J. Hillebrand, MD is the Medical Director of Liver Transplantation for the Scripps Center for Organ & Cell Transplantation and a member of the Scripps Clinic and Green Hospital Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, La Jolla, CA; Past Chief of Hepatology; Associate Professor of Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center. To view his web CV, click here.

Ray Hill has been a strident patient advocate for HIV/AIDS & HCV and for Texas' prison population. Ray has received the ACLU Lifetime Achievement Award for advancing the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender citizens, and has been voted "gay hero" 7 years in a row by the gay community of Houston, Texas. Ray Hill's Prison Show has been broadcasting since 1980 and a documentary based on it, directed by Rice Univ. Professor Brian Huberman, will be part of the 11th Annual Houston Gay & Lesbian Intl Film Festival Sept 20-24.

Jacqueline Marcell is a tireless advocate for Alzheimer’s and eldercare awareness and reform. She is the best-selling author of the Book-of-the-Month selected Elder Rage; the host of the Coping with Caregiving radio program; the author of weekly Blogs on Alzheimer’s and Caregiving; and a sought after national speaker on these topics. The National Association of Women Business Owners honored her with “Advocate of the Year” at their Remarkable Women Awards. Jacqueline is also a breast cancer survivor who advocates that everyone (especially caregivers) closely monitor their own health.

Phil Berry, MD, orthopedic surgeon and Past President of the Texas Medical Association was recently profiled in UNOS's UPDATE Magazine for generously agreeing to champion a new program, in Texas and nationally, that encourages primary care physicians to discuss organ donation with their patients. Dr. Berry has previously received the prestigious Benjamin Rush Award from the AMA for outstanding citizen efforts for organ donation, and has served at HHS on the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation. View a past uplifting article from the Dallas Morning news on this Board member here.

$$ to fly 110 CDC employees to Intl. AIDS meetings could
have been used for drugs to benefit 113,000 infants..

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., is on the trail of federal waste again. This time his target is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a new report Coburn questions travel funds to send 110 CDC employees to two AIDS conferences--funds that could have purchased AIDS drugs to prevent mother-to-child AIDS transmission for more than 113,000 infants. Also highlighted as abuse is a billion-dollar construction project that includes the $109.8 million Arlen Specter Headquarters with $10 million in furniture, a $106 million communications center, an $18.6 million video production studio, and a new employee fitness center with '$200,000 in equipment such as zero-gravity chairs and a mood-enhancing light show. We thank our FAIR member, Adrian Cronauer, for this story. Adrian is best known as the US Armed Services Radio station disk jockey in Vietnam during the war as played by Robin Williams in the movie "Good Morning, Vietnam!"

"Stop HIV/AIDS Research Favoritism"
Proper respect should be given non-HIV/AIDS illnesses

Newsweek Magazine allows readers to submit an essay for full-page publication in a section called "My Turn." Our CEO, Dr. Darling, submitted his thoughts on the need to redistribute "a reasonable portion of HIV funding" and it included the above title. You may read it by clicking on the Newsweek logo.

FAIR's Board of Directors to NIH's new Deputy Director
of Office of Portfolio Analysis and Strategic Initiatives:
"Redistribute a portion of HIV funding"

Our Board of Directors joined with our CEO in writing to the new NIH Deputy Director of Portfolio Analysis, Alan Krensky, MD, and asked that a portion of AIDS research allocations be redistributed because the existing medications and extensive prevention programs for this illness have significantly mitigated its threat.

The CDC responds to FAIR's request..

Our Board of Directors and Dr. Darling also previously asked the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Director, Julie Gerberding, MD, to change their estimates of HIV/AIDS deaths of 16,316 to more accurately reflect the 11,467 reported by the 50 states and DC. We stand by our request and look forward to the follow-up she promised in her letter after they have completed reevaluating their estimates.

FAIR Adds "Breast Cancer" and
"Total Cancer Funding" to fact list

Lance Armstrong has repeatedly stated the following: research funding for cancer is not fair, cancer is this country's number one killer, cancer kills 600,000 annually and that funding for cancer has been cut. Are those facts correct? Well, funding for cancer has been cut but funding has been cut for virtually all illnesses--cancer has not been singled out. We added "Total Cancer" and "Breast Cancer" to our list of diseases and their allocations to give a clearer picture and we think you'll be surprised. Click on Lance to get the factual picture.

Abbot Labs sues ACT UP

ACT UP New York is a group of AIDS activists who state they are "united in anger...we demonstrate...we are not silent." Indeed, in the past they have hollered at our CEO to show their displeasure with his efforts for fairness (view it here). Abbot labs is now suing ACT UP for launching a "cyber attack" on the company's Web site. For the full story, click on the ACT UP logo.

TOTAL USA HIV/AIDS Funding for your state?

Kitty Candelaria is one of the most dedicated hepatitis C activists in the United States. We are very grateful when FAIR members like Kitty provide interesting topics for your viewing. FAIR is working for fair research funding, Kitty is trying to have HCV share in some of the exorbitant HIV funding for social programs, treatment, etc. See how much funding your state is receiving by clicking on the $.

FAIR joins in successful effort to increase
Congress's bio-medical research funding

FAIR is desirous of not only fairer funding, but also greater funding. We joined with over a thousand other organizations in lobbying for an increase in bio-medical research funding with the 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Bill, which passed successfully by a vote of 276-140 on July 19th. To view the letter and the organizations who signed on to this effort, click the picture.

The HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Parade Continues

In October of 2006 there were 2,233 HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials, now there are 3,172 as of 9/7/07. Find out how many for your disease by clicking here. For example, there are a total of only 381 for Alzheimer's Disease, 449 for COPD, 466 for hepatitis C and 2,634 clinical trials for our Focus Disease of the Month: diabetes.

FAIR Profiles States: Indiana & Iowa

What are the top ten killer diseases in Indiana and Iowa? Click on the state picture for the answer. To see the plummeting HIV/AIDS deaths in those states and in every other state, click here.

FAIR Members' Soapbox Alerts continue, this time on behalf of those with kidney diseases & CVD

Are you suffering from a kidney disease such as diabetes or from cardiovascular disease (CVD). To easily send an alert today to President Bush, VP Cheney, your Senators and Representatives in support of fairer funding for those illnesses, click the Soapbox logo!

Focus Disease of the Month: Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.
Diabetes is deadly; it kills more Americans than AIDS, breast cancer and hepatitis C combined. Indeed, diabetes is one of the top six causes of death in the USA.
Diabetes is common: two years ago there were 16 million with diabetes. Now there are 21 million (7 percent of US population, 13 million diagnosed; 5.2 undiagnosed). Compare to HIV/AIDS: CDC estimates put the number with HIV/AIDS at 1 million.
Diabetes symptoms: excessive thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, extreme fatigue, frequent urination, blurry vision and irritability. You can also take the American Diabetes Association's Online Diabetes Risk Test to find out if you are at risk for diabetes.
Diabetes is serious; it is the number one cause of blindness, kidney disease and stroke. In fact, more than 65 percent of people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.
Diabetes and CVD: Yahoo News: "Diabetes heart risk = 15 years of aging." Diabetics are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, one of the world's biggest killers, 15 years earlier than other people so a diabetic 40 years of age has the same potential for a stroke as a healthy person of age 55. Full story.
Diabetes, Genetics and Race: Do genetics and race play a role in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes? Yes! For a full explanation on the role of genetics from the ADA, click here. Hispanics are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanics and nearly 25 percent of all Hispanics, age 45-74, have it. African-Americans are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as the general population and 11.4 percent over 20 years of age have it
Diabetes and Age: The risk of diabetes increases with age. About 21 percent of Americans aged 60 years or older have diabetes. This compares to approximately 2 percent for people 20 to 39 years old and about 10 percent for those aged 40-59 years.
Diabetes is costly; The United States spends approximately $132 billion each year on diabetes – $92 billion in direct medical costs and another $40 billion each year in indirect costs because of missed work days or other losses in productivity.
Diabetes treatment:
1. In order to survive, people with type 1 diabetes must have insulin delivered by a pump or injections.
2. Many people with type 2 diabetes can control their blood glucose by following a careful diet and exercise program, losing excess weight, and taking oral medication.
3. Many people with diabetes also need to take medications to control their cholesterol and blood pressure.
4. Among adults with diagnosed diabetes, about 12 percent take both insulin and oral medications, 19 percent take insulin only, 53 percent take oral medications only, and 15 percent do not take either insulin or oral meds.
Diabetes and Research Funding: The NIH is spending only $50 on each diabetic in research in 2007 compared to $3,052 on each HIV/AIDS patient.
Video: To view a powerful 14 minute video by the American Diabetes Association and ABC Television with striking quotes by many well-known celebrities and politicians that illustrates the need for more fair and equitable funding, Click HERE

Diabetes and all other diseases except HIV/AIDS would receive larger research allocations under the FAIR Foundation's policies.

Statistics from the American Diabetes Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The FAIR Foundation is growing fast, but we need more members to change Congress and the NIH. Please help us by forwarding this Newsletter on to your associates and friends. With strength in numbers, we WILL achieve fair and equitable NIH distributions for diabetics and ALL non-AIDS diseases. Joining is free and all member information is confidential.

donate...

Help us help all who need fair and equitable research allocations for their disease of interest and to achieve new organ-donor policies to reverse the organ-donor crisis in America. Indeed, we are the only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to fairness in research funding and we respectfully ask for your help in funding our effort. Remember, we have no paid employees. Indeed; we are all volunteers so every dollar of your donation will go to continuing our educating Congress and the NIH on the need for change to insure fair funding for your disease of interest. Please make your donation on our secure website by clicking on the scales of justice or with your check made payable to and mailed to the FAIR Foundation, 78-629 Bougainvillea Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

The FAIR Foundation, 78629 Bougainvillea Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 E-mail: fair@dc.rr.com

FAIR Mission Statement: The FAIR Foundation is dedicated to fair and equitable distribution of research funds by the government for all diseases, including the 16 that kill a million more Americans than AIDS. A disease’s mortality rate shall be given emphasis in determining allocations and other secondary factors shall be utilized to insure diseases that cause great suffering but have low mortality rates will also receive significantly increased funding.