Many ask why we should worry about the cut in funding to the National Institute of Health (NIH). I confess I have become more cognizant of what they do in the past few years—we typically don’t worry unless this hits close to home. Please forgive me if this post becomes too long, but I think it really is important to everyone.
The funds allocated to the NIH annually (this year would have been $47 billion) are used to research a plethora of health concerns both foreign and domestic. Of those funds, 85% is awarded via grants to outside institutions, 10-12% is used directly by the NIH for research, and the remaining 3-5% is for administrative costs. Of the 95-97% earmarked for research, this is a list of some of those health issues that have been studied (domestically):
- Cardiovascular Health
- Pulmonary Health
- Neurological Disorders
- Sleep Disorders
- Cancer
- Immune Disorders
- Mental Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Blood Disorders
I know there are people who complain that we are using our tax dollars to heal people all over the world, but these are health issues that occur right here in our own country. Some of these issues are directly related to socioeconomic status and the access to nutritious food.
I’m not saying that $47 billion isn’t a lot of money, but the cost of treating people for the health issues outlined above far exceeds the NIH’s annual budget. Talk with anyone who has a chronic health problem about the cost of their care; it’s exorbitant.
Lives saved or life expectancy extended outweigh this budget. Please contact your congressional representative and senators. This budget affects everyone. (Proverb 31: 8-9)
