PROCLAMATION 6068—NOV. 15, 1989 103 STAT. 3159 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty- nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hujidred and fourteenth. GEORGE BUSH Editorial note: For the President's remarks of Nov. 14, 1989, on signing Proclamation 6067, see the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (vol. 25, p. 1743). Proclamation 6068 of November 15, 1989 National Diabetes Month, 1989 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Diabetes melUtus is one of the most serious public health problems challenging this country today. An estimated 11 million Americans have the disease, and about half of the them are not aware of their ill- ness. Each year, more than 500,000 new cases of diabetes are identified. All diabetics are at increased risk of developing eye, nerve, or kidney damage, as well as heart disease. These complications make diabetes a leading cause of death in the United States. Affecting individuals of all ages, regardless of gender or race, diabetes costs our Nation billions of dollars annually in health care and lost economic productivity. More important, however, and more tragic is the untold personal suffering endured by diabetics and their families. Fortunately, however, the mystery of diabetes is beginning to imfold. Medical research has produced remarkable progress in understanding the causes and complications of diabetes and in devising treatments for it. In insulin-dependent diabetes, the immtme system destroys insulin- producing cells. Recent research advances include the identification of markers that signal the onset of insulin-dependent diabetes years before it occurs—a discovery that may one day make early interven- tion possible. Progress also has been made in unraveling the ptizzle of non-insulin- dependent diabetes, with indications that this form of diabetes is actu- ally many diseases with different causes related to cellular abnormali- ties. In this area of research, scientists are developing and applying the tools needed to examine what happens in diabetes at the cellular level. Basic and clinical research advances have significantly reduced diabe- tes-related deaths and have improved the quality of life for people with diabetes. Nevertheless, much needs to be done before the cure and pre- vention of diabetes and its complications become a reality. The Federal Government, in cooperation with volimtary and professional health or- ganizations, is continuing to conduct research aimed at eliminating dia- betes as a threat to the health of present and futiu'e generations. To enhance public understanding of diabetes and to recognize the ef- forts of those working to eliminate this public health problem, the Con-
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