ATLANTA (April 28, 2022) – The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) has published its annual collection of fact sheets about the economic and social costs of chronic diseases in the United States and the programs needed to help prevent the diseases. Specifically this year, the fact sheets make the case to Congress and the Biden Administration that greater financial support in Fiscal Year 2023 is critical to helping those communities already at high risk for chronic diseases recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
“We must invest in helping people in the United States address the health burden during the pandemic – the unanticipated and compounded cost of missed health screenings, treatment, and preventive care for chronic disease,” said John W. Robitscher, MPH, NACDD’s CEO. “Congress can act now to prevent an expected dramatic increase in chronic diseases we face during and after the pandemic by funding more preventive services and programs.”
 
This year’s fact sheets call for increases in funding for several programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion including: 21% for breast and cervical cancer screening programs; 22% for diabetes prevention and control programs; and 10.5% for the CDC’s heart disease and stroke prevention program, which funds the Paul Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry Program, sodium reduction in Communities program, and the WISEWOMAN program, among others.
   
Dr. David Hoffman, NACDD Policy Committee Chair and Board Associate At Large Director, said, “The pandemic has shown us just how important prevention is both for infectious and chronic diseases. We must not overlook this opportunity to save lives, healthcare dollars, and improve our nation’s overall wellbeing. The next pandemic won’t wait for us to be healthier.”