HHS Awards $100M in Diabetes Prevention, Treatment Programs for American Indians, Alaska Natives
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Dec. 10 announced $100 million in grants to support diabetes prevention and treatment programs that target American Indians and Alaska Natives. HHS will award the grants, funded through the Indian Health Service, to 318 tribal, urban Indian, Indian organizations and IHS health programs. The programs will include tests for obesity, weight management programs, school-based physical activity programs, nutritional counseling, diabetes education and outreach campaigns to help prevent diabetes and diabetes-related cardiovascular disease among American Indians and Alaska Natives. American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.6 times more likely to have diabetes than non-Hispanic whites, and cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death among the two populations. "These grants support hundreds of programs to help people in Indian Country who are at risk for diabetes to take the right steps to prevent the disease's onset and to provide needed services to those who already have diabetes," Thompson said, adding, "All Americans should know that you don't have to be a marathon runner or starve yourself to prevent diabetes. You can take small steps to become more active and improve your diet that will make a real difference" (HHS release, 12/10).
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