Recognizing November 2024 as "American Diabetes Month" in support of those battling the disease and acknowledging the structural conditions that lead to disparities in affected populations and available care.

WHEREAS, Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when an individual's blood sugar reaches a dangerous level; and

WHEREAS, Diabetes may occur when an individual’s pancreas stops producing insulin, known asType 1 diabetes. It can also occur when the body slows the production of insulin or does not create enough insulin for the body to use, called Type 2 diabetes; and

WHEREAS, The number of people with diabetes globally has increased from 200 million in 1990 to 830 million in 2022, and it is projected that 1 in 8 adults will have diabetes by 2045; and

WHEREAS, Over 38.4 million Americans suffer from some form of diabetes, including approximately 352,000 children; and

WHEREAS, Diagnosed cases of diabetes costs an estimated $12.9 billion in Pennsylvania each year, and every year an additional estimated 76,488 Pennsylvanians are diagnosed with diabetes; and

WHEREAS, Over the last 15 years, diabetes diagnoses have increased by more than 50%, and currently at least 13.5% of Philadelphia’s population has some form of diabetes; and

WHEREAS, Diabetes and its life-threatening risks disproportionately affect low income communities, as insufficient access to healthy food options and health facilities are both contributing factors that increase a person's chance of developing diabetes; and

WHEREAS, Black and Latino individuals are another at-risk group disproportionately affected by diabetes, which reflects the lack of equity within the healthcare system; and

WHEREAS, In the Philadelphia area, Black men are 2.7 times more likely to receive an amputation as a result of diabetes than non-hispanic white men. Amputations are also more common in the poorest areas of the City where access to healthcare is not always guaranteed, is often inaccessible, and unconscious bias leads to late diagnoses; and

WHEREAS, Amputation rates have been on the rise in people under 65 since 2009 and underscore the rise in racial and wealth disparities in treating diabetes; and

WHEREAS, Diabetes can be the most dangerous for individuals incarcerated in jails and prisons. Although people with diabetes are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, jails and prisons often fail to meet their obligations to provide care and do not follow the guidelines set by the American Diabetes Association; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize November 2024 as “American Diabetes Month” in support of those battling the disease and acknowledge the structural conditions that lead to disparities in affected populations and available care.

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