National Diabetes Month, 2024

Proclamation 10849 of October 31, 2024

National Diabetes Month, 2024

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Over 38 million Americans, or 1 in every 10 people,
have diabetes. During National Diabetes Month, we raise
awareness about this chronic condition and promote the
strategies that can prevent and manage it. We recommit
to making treatment more affordable and accessible. And
we strengthen our resolve to find cures.

Diabetes takes a physical and financial toll on
Americans nationwide, and many Americans must decide
between paying for treatments and putting food on the
table. Insulin--a life-saving drug for some people with
diabetes--can cost Americans upwards of $300, even
though it costs drug companies as little as $10 per
vial to make. Some Americans end up rationing their
medication, which can have serious effects on their
health and well-being. While Big Pharma makes record
profits, Americans pay exorbitant prices--higher than
anywhere else in the world. It is unacceptable. No one
should have to lie awake at night wondering if they can
afford their medical bills or their insulin
prescription.

Since I came into office, I have worked to ensure that
health care is a right in this country, not a
privilege--and that meant lowering the cost of insulin.
That is why my Administration took on Big Pharma and
won. I signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped
the cost of insulin at $35 for people on Medicare. And
the largest manufacturer of insulin in the United
States answered my call to lower the cost to $35 per
month for everyone. My Inflation Reduction Act also
empowered Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices,
lowering the costs of medications used to treat common
diseases, including drugs that treat diabetes. Further,
that law requires drug companies that raise prices
faster than inflation to pay Medicare back the
difference, saving seniors up to $618 per dose of
medication. Moreover, beginning in 2025, the Inflation
Reduction Act will cap total out-of-pocket drug costs
at $2,000 per year for people on Medicare. There is
still more to do, but this will help ensure Americans--
including those with diabetes--have the dignity,
security, and peace of mind they deserve.

My Administration is also working to drive new
breakthroughs in preventing, detecting, and treating
diabetes while ensuring that Americans have the
resources they need to lead healthy lifestyles. I
secured $4 billion for the Advanced Research Projects
Agency for Health to make strides in transforming the
prevention, detection, and treatment of deadly diseases
like diabetes. We have seen enormous research advances
in recent years to develop promising new diabetes
drugs, including the first cell therapy for adults with
Type 1 diabetes and the first new oral medication for
children with Type 2 diabetes in decades. At the same
time, we recognize that the impact of Type 2 diabetes
can be greatly decreased through improvements in
nutrition and physical activity. My Administration
announced new standards for school meals to improve
their nutritional value and give schools the option to
require locally produced, unprocessed menu ingredients.
We also held the first White House Conference on
Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years,
bringing together advocates, health care providers,
food companies, and officials from every level of
government. As a part of that

conference, we launched the White House Challenge to
End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities. In total, we
have secured more than $10 billion in bold, new
commitments from the public and private sectors to end
hunger and reduce diet-related diseases like diabetes.

My Administration also recognizes that tens of millions
of Americans have prediabetes and are at risk of
developing Type 2 diabetes within 5 years. Diabetes
increases one's risk of heart attack, cancer, stroke,
blindness, kidney failure, and the loss of toes, feet,
or legs. Many of these cases are preventable, and the
risk factors are often related to poor nutrition and
inadequate physical activity. To learn more about the
risks and how to address prediabetes and help prevent
Type 2 diabetes, visit the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention National Diabetes Prevention Program:
cdc.gov/diabetes-prevention.

During National Diabetes Month, we celebrate the
resilience and courage of all those affected by
diabetes. We thank the dedicated medical professionals,
loved ones, and advocates who support this community.
And we recommit to working around the clock to improve
care for those affected and get us closer to finding
cures.

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 November 2024
as National Diabetes Month. I call upon all Americans,
school systems, government agencies, nonprofit
organizations, health care providers, research
institutions, and other interested groups to join in
activities that raise diabetes awareness and help
prevent, treat, and manage this disease.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of October, 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.