Title
Proclamation recognizing the month of November as American Diabetes Month and encouraging the public to learn more about diabetes and the risks associated with the disease.
Body
WHEREAS, nearly 21 million people in the United States have diabetes, a figure which has increased by 14 percent over the past two years and researchers estimate that more than 6 million individuals are unaware that they have the disease; and
WHEREAS, as many as 3 million Americans suffer from Type 1 diabetes, an unpreventable disease, occurring when the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells. People with type 1 diabetes must take multiple injections of insulin daily or continuous infusion of insulin through a pump just to survive, and 90 to 95 percent of Americans suffer from Type 2 diabetes, which may be treated with diet, exercise, oral drugs, and sometimes insulin; and
WHEREAS, both types of diabetes are a leading cause of blindness, amputation, heart attack, stroke and premature death. It is the fifth deadliest disease in the nation for which there is no cure; and
WHEREAS, during American Diabetes Month and throughout the year, we pay tribute to the doctors, nurses, scientists, researchers, and organizations, such as the American Diabetes Association and the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and all those dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of Allegheny County does hereby proclaim the month of November as “American Diabetes Month” and encourages the residents of Allegheny County to learn more about the risk factors and symptoms associated with diabetes.