A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, FOR PEDIATRIC DIABETES EDUCATION AND PREVENTION SERVICES.
Whereas, diabetes is the second most common chronic disease of childhood, and the current obesity epidemic has resulted in an unprecedented rise in Type 2 diabetes among children, a trend that is entirely preventable; and
Whereas, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports that as many as 26% of North Carolina children ages 12‑19 are overweight, compared to 15% nationally; and
Whereas, North Carolina health care providers have found an increasing number of children presenting at outpatient clinics, emergency departments, and inpatient pediatric units with undiagnosed and poorly managed diabetes; and
Whereas, the economic impact in North Carolina of obesity and Type 2 diabetes related to unhealthy lifestyles is estimated to be more than $24 billion dollars; and
Whereas, Wake County has developed a successful pediatric diabetes screening, education and prevention program, through a collaborative partnership among WakeMed Health & Hospitals, the triangle YMCAs, the Wake County Public School System, and the Wake County Public Health Department, among others; and
Whereas, this Wake community‑based program has screened over 1,200 children and diagnosed over 500 children with pre‑diabetes, 73% of whom are now enrolled in an education and exercise program that teaches at‑risk children and their families how to adopt healthy lifestyles with the goal of preventing Type 2 diabetes and its complications; and
Whereas, within six months of enrollment in the Wake County prevention program, 50% of the program participants have seen a decrease in weight, have normal blood sugar levels, exercise more, and have developed healthier nutritional habits; and
Whereas, coordinated screening, educational outreach, and prevention services help reduce the number of undiagnosed and poorly managed cases of pediatric diabetes and thereby help reduce overall health care costs for North Carolina communities; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for the 2007‑2008 fiscal year.  These funds shall be used to support the development and expansion of community‑based pediatric diabetes education and prevention programs.  The Division of Public Health may use a portion of these funds to contract with a third‑party nonprofit provider to facilitate the development or the expansion of the programs.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2007.