The American Gastroenterological Association Supports a 6.7% Funding Increase for the National Institutes of Health in Fiscal 2008

Abstract

The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, of which the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is a member, has recommended that Congress add at least 6.7% in fiscal year (FY) 2008 for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The group calculates that it will require that percentage increase in FY 2008 as well as FY 2009 and 2010 to return the NIH budget to the post budget doubling levels once biomedical inflation is taken into account.The AGA points out that since the doubling of medical research funding ended in 2003, NIH funding has not kept pace with biomedical inflation and, as a result, NIH has lost >13% of its purchasing power. The AGA states “it is essential that funding for NIH be restored so that the foundations for medical progress established during the doubling period are not further eroded.”Noting that the NIH budget “has lagged behind inflation for years,” the AGA says it recognizes that the United States “faces an expanding set of challenges at home and abroad that place new demands on the nation’s resources. However, the Administration’s FY 2008 request marks the fifth year in a row that the NIH budget has not kept pace with inflation, as measured by the Biomedical Research and Development Price Index (BRDPI).” The NIH has calculated that BRDPI for FY 2008 will be 3.7% and funding increases below this percentage will result in a net decrease in the NIH budget.Each year, >62 million Americans are diagnosed with digestive disorders, including foodborne illness, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, gastrointestinal and liver cancers, and motility disorders. To sustain the progress in finding treatments and cures for these disabling diseases, the AGA strongly supports the 6.7% increase for FY 2008.The AGA says the group “appreciates the efforts of the 110th Congress to provide meaningful increases for the NIH in these times of significant budget constraints. We look forward to continuing our collaborations with legislators and their staff to provide NIH with the resources.” The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, of which the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is a member, has recommended that Congress add at least 6.7% in fiscal year (FY) 2008 for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The group calculates that it will require that percentage increase in FY 2008 as well as FY 2009 and 2010 to return the NIH budget to the post budget doubling levels once biomedical inflation is taken into account. The AGA points out that since the doubling of medical research funding ended in 2003, NIH funding has not kept pace with biomedical inflation and, as a result, NIH has lost >13% of its purchasing power. The AGA states “it is essential that funding for NIH be restored so that the foundations for medical progress established during the doubling period are not further eroded.” Noting that the NIH budget “has lagged behind inflation for years,” the AGA says it recognizes that the United States “faces an expanding set of challenges at home and abroad that place new demands on the nation’s resources. However, the Administration’s FY 2008 request marks the fifth year in a row that the NIH budget has not kept pace with inflation, as measured by the Biomedical Research and Development Price Index (BRDPI).” The NIH has calculated that BRDPI for FY 2008 will be 3.7% and funding increases below this percentage will result in a net decrease in the NIH budget. Each year, >62 million Americans are diagnosed with digestive disorders, including foodborne illness, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, gastrointestinal and liver cancers, and motility disorders. To sustain the progress in finding treatments and cures for these disabling diseases, the AGA strongly supports the 6.7% increase for FY 2008. The AGA says the group “appreciates the efforts of the 110th Congress to provide meaningful increases for the NIH in these times of significant budget constraints. We look forward to continuing our collaborations with legislators and their staff to provide NIH with the resources.”