eInsights - January 2010

A Win for Spina Bifida, Patients, Families and Advocates

In an extraordinarily lean budget year highlighted with a national recession and government stimulus package, the Spina Bifida Association is very pleased to announce that the National Spina Bifida Program housed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received $6.2 million -- a 14 percent increase in funding over last year! This substantial increase, included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Omnibus Appropriations Act (H.R. 3288) recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama, is critically important, as it comes in a year when new data indicating that the number of Americans living with Spina Bifida may be as high as 166,000 – more than double what was previously thought.

“This is a great legislative victory for the Spina Bifida community, and a testament to both the hard work of so many dedicated Spina Bifida advocates and the importance of the National Spina Bifida Program,” said Cindy Brownstein, President and CEO of Spina Bifida Association. “SBA would like to thank all of you who reached out to your Senators and Congressmen for helping to make this vital funding increase possible.”

Created by Congress in 2003, the National Spina Bifida Program works to prevent and reduce the incidence of births affected by Spina Bifida and to improve the health, well-being, and overall quality of life for the individuals and families living with Spina Bifida. In just a few short years, the National Spina Bifida Program has developed an impressive array of programs, initiatives, and resources to support and empower patients, families, and health care providers with the information they need to prevent secondary effects and complications of Spina Bifida. The FY 2010 allocation to the National Spina Bifida Program will help ensure that the critical projects already underway, such as the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry and the National Spina Bifida Resource Center, can be sustained, enhanced, and expanded.

Thanks to your help, we are moving closer to ensuring that the Nation mounts a comprehensive approach to preventing Spina Bifida and maximizing quality of life for all those who are affected. With the additional FY 2010 funding, the National Spina Bifida Program will have additional resources necessary to sustain and expand its important efforts.

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eInsights is an electronic newsletter brought to you quarterly by the Spina Bifida Association.