WHEREAS, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), established in 1972, serves all federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribal governments by advocating for the improvement of health care delivery and public health services to AI/ANs, as well as upholding the federal government’s trust responsibility to AI/AN Tribal governments; and

WHEREAS, AI/AN adults are 2.4 times as likely as white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes; and were 2.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with end stage renal disease than nonHispanic whites; and

WHEREAS, the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI), since 1997, has been enormously successful in reducing the rates of diabetes in Indian Country and reducing the complications due to diabetes with End Stage Renal Disease ending by 54% and dropping A1C levels by a whole percentage point among AI/ANs; and

WHEREAS, SDPI currently provides essential program funding to over 300 Tribal grantees in 35 states and