Advocates call on Congress to increase NIH research funding to save lives

American Heart Association volunteer leaders and staff joined more than 200 national advocates on Capitol Hill Sept. 19 for the 2024 Rally for Medical Research.

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These advocates were calling on federal lawmakers to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH supports efforts to reduce illness, disability and death. 


“We are pleased to stand with other public health and research organizations to urge Congress to increase federal funding for the NIH that will advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere,” said AHA National Advocacy Chairperson and Board of Directors member Cheryl Pegus, M.D., M.P.H., who participated in meetings with policymakers on the Hill. 

 
Since Rally for Medical Research launched in 2013, NIH funding has increased exponentially — most notably between 2016 and 2023, when funding grew nearly 56%. Maintaining that trajectory requires making NIH funding a national priority. 

“I shared the story of how my family was helped by medical research, funded by the NIH with my elected officials in Washington DC. Medical research means hope for millions of patients and families across the country,” said Jaelene Dismuke, an advocate and member of the AHA Advocacy Board from Texas.

Recent projections show that 61% of the U.S. population will live with the challenges of cardiovascular disease by 2050. If we want to continue the progress we’ve made in heart health in this country, we need to continue to study new treatments and medications that can improve health outcomes for everyone. You can join the researchers, survivors and advocates from the Rally for Medical Research by clicking this link and asking your elected officials to support more funding for medical research. 
 
 

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