FARE Thanks Congress, President for Boosting Food Allergy Research
New Federal Spending Bill Also Helps Food Allergic School Children
March 24, 2022 (McLean, VA) – Food Allergy Education and Research (FARE) applauds the passage of the federal government’s fiscal year 2022 (FY’22) spending bill which included provisions to increase food allergy research funding and add protection for children with life-threatening food allergies. Passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, the bill highlights FARE’s advocacy efforts to increase federal investment in food allergy research.
Specifically, the bill provides an additional $3 million for NIAID’s CoFAR (Consortium of Food Allergy Research) upping its ‘FY22 total to $9.1 million (or a 49.1% increase). This money will expand CoFAR’s clinical research network while adding new “centers of excellence” in food allergy clinical care. These chosen centers will all have proven expertise in food allergy research—a critical factor in ensuring focused research efforts.
Of significant importance in the bill is the inclusion of $2 million “for a school-based effort to address food allergies and reduce potentially fatal anaphylactic reactions.” This money was awarded to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) through its Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion work and will help protect the nearly six million children with life-threatening food allergies in our schools.
“This spending allocation is a significant step forward in our tireless efforts to improve the quality of life for 32 million Americans living with food allergies,” said Dr. Bruce Roberts, FARE’s Interim CEO. “We are especially proud of the hard work of our advocacy team in helping to secure these critical dollars and additional focus on this life-threatening chronic disease of food allergy.”
FARE is grateful both to Congress and President Biden for their support of the food allergy community and their recognition of food allergy research as critical to the lives of millions of Americans.
To see the specific food allergy provisions, please visit: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2471/text. Next, click on ‘joint explanatory statements', scroll a little more than halfway down the page, and then click on the first PDF next to Division H. The food allergy provisions are found on pages 29 and 55.
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About FARE
FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) is the leading nonprofit organization that empowers the food allergy patient across the journey of managing their disease. FARE delivers innovation by focusing on three strategic pillars—advocacy, research, and education—united by the through line of health equity. FARE’s initiatives accelerate the future of food allergy through effective policies and legislation, novel strategies toward prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and building awareness and community. For more information, visit FoodAllergy.org.