This Week's Advocacy News: 'Biden Touts Cancer Moonshot Initiative in New Orleans, Announcing $150 Million in New Funding'

August 23, 2024 by Jaimie Vickery MPP, ONS Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were in New Orleans on Tuesday (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bidens-cancer-moonshot-initiative-new-orleans/) to tout the Biden Cancer Moonshot initiative (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joe-biden-cancer-moonshot-pushes-researchers-to-achieve-goals/), which aims to boost funding research and treatment to prevent cancer deaths and help those living with the disease. Earlier in the day, the White House announced up to $150 million in awards to eight research teams across the country to develop technologies that will allow surgeons to provide more successful tumor-removal surgeries for people facing cancer. The Department of Health and Human Services recently awarded nearly $9 million (https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/08/07/biden-harris-administration-awards-nearly-9-million-improve-access-cancer-screening-connections-follow-up-treatment-underserved-communities.html) to improve access to cancer screenings and follow-up treatments in underserved communities, part of the initiative's effort to expand preventive cancer care.

CBSNews.com

ONS Perspective

President Biden first led the Cancer Moonshot during his vice presidency in 2016 (https://voice.ons.org/news-and-views/01-2016/president-obama-challenges-nation-with-moonshot-cancer-cure) and then revitalized it in 2022 (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/02-2022/president-biden-reignites-cancer-moonshot-initiative) during his presidency. By announcing $150 million in new funding aimed at advancing cancer research and improving surgical outcomes, President Biden is reaffirming his commitment to the initiative (https://www.whitehouse.gov/cancermoonshot/). The Cancer Moonshot’s goals are to cut cancer deaths in half in the next 25 years and to accelerate cancer research, prevention, and treatment. The new funding follows a July 2024 announcement (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/07-2024/white-house-announces-global-funding-initiatives-to-support-cancer-moonshot-goals) during the White House Africa Cancer Forum about funding and actions to reduce the cancer burden in Africa.

Despite significant progress, today’s shifting political landscape makes future support for the initiative uncertain. Join ONS in advocating for cutting-edge research funding (https://www.onfgivesback.org/funding-for-nurses/research/research-grant#:~:text=Chemotherapy%20Adherence%20%E2%80%93%20%24100%2C000-,2024%20updated%20ons%20research%20agenda,-*2024%20Updated%20ONS) and equitable access to high-quality cancer care (https://www.ons.org/make-difference/ons-center-advocacy-and-health-policy/position-statements/access-quality-cancer).

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