Transcript Slide 1

Breakthrough Advocacy
for Research
Mary Woolley
President, Research!America
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellows
Washington, DC
October 2, 2008
“Every public health
decision is made on a
political decision.”
– William Foege, MD, MPH
September 10, 2003
Senior Fellow, Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation; Former
Director, CDC
Research!America: 19 Years of Putting
Research on the Public Agenda
• Non-profit alliance with 500 member
organizations drawn from academia, business,
patient organizations and scientific societies
representing more than 125 million Americans
• Distinguished, all-volunteer board includes
former elected and appointed officials, media
and public relations leaders, and leaders from
alliance member organizations
Research!America’s Mission
• Make medical and health research,
including research to prevent
disease, disability and injury, a
much higher national priority
Research!America Goals:
• Ensure that the public hears about
research and its benefits
• Achieve more funding for medical
and health research
• Advocate a policy climate that
stimulates rather than impedes
research
• Empower others to advocate for
medical and health research
Advocacy vs. Lobbying
• To advocate simply means to speak
up, to plead the case of another or to
champion a cause
It is something that most of us routinely do on behalf of
our families, our neighbors, our friends and ourselves
• Lobbying, in general, consists of
communications intended to
influence specific legislation.
2009 Research Budget Update
Campaign for Public Health
Evan Jones, chairman, Campaign for
Public Health, chairman of the board,
Digene Corporation
CPH is comprised of prominent leaders
in the public health community
dedicated to advocacy that will
accelerate the growth of federal
appropriations for the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
Karl B. Moeller, Executive Director
[email protected]
www.fundcdc.org
What’s Happening to
Accomplish This Goal
• House and Senate Staff Trips to
Centers for Disease Control &
Prevention in Atlanta
• Creation of Congressional Study
Group on Public Health
• Advertising
• Business Leader Engagement
Research!America: Defining and
Delivering Messages That Work
• Aspirational messages
(Then…Now…Imagine)
• Economic impact messages
• Cost savings messages
Research Takes Cents
• Americans spent more than $35
billion on lawn and garden
products in 2007
• That could fund the Centers for
Disease Control & Prevention at
current levels for more than five
years!
Sources: National Gardening Association; CDC FY08
Prematurity
THEN…
deaths of newborns from respiratory distress syndrome
totaled more than 10,000 a year in the 1950s
NOW…
with the discovery and development of artificial lung
surfactant deaths of premature newborns from RDS have
decreased to fewer than 1,000 in 2002
IMAGINE…
preventing premature births completely
Source: March of Dimes
Economic Impact Messages
• Research drives innovation and
productivity
• Research creates jobs
• Research fuels local & regional
economies
• Research helps control health care
costs
Research!America Polls:
• Commissioning public opinion polls
on research issues for more than 16
years:
• National Polls
• State-Based Polls
• Issue-Specific Polls
• Telephone (random-digit dialing) polls are conducted with
a sample size of 800-1000 adults (age 18+) and a
maximum theoretical sampling error of +/- 3.5 percent.
Data are demographically representative of adult U.S.
residents (state or national).
“…public sentiment is
everything. With public
sentiment, nothing can
fail; without it nothing
can succeed.”
–Abraham Lincoln
“As a member of the U.S.
Senate, it is incumbent upon
me to hear the public voice
about important issues.
Research!America, through its
national surveys, gives me
added evidence of the
importance of medical and
health research to our
citizenry—information
necessary to make informed
decisions where the public’s
welfare is concerned.”
–Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Ranking
Member, LHHS Subcommittee
Americans Don’t Know Where
Research is Conducted
Do you know of any institutions, companies or organizations where
medical or health research is conducted?
64%
Don't Know
1%
St. Jude 1%
Pfizer 1%
National Institutes of Health 1%
Cleveland Clinic 1%
University of Michigan 1%
Children's Hospital 1%
Merck 1%
Johns Hopkins University
Other
Source: Your Congress–Your Health Survey, 2007
Charlton Research Company for Research!America
28%
Most Americans Can’t Name
a Living Scientist
Can you give me the name of a living scientist?
74%
None/don't know
8%
Stephen Hawking
Albert Einstein
1%
Bill Gates
1%
Robert Jarvick
1%
Other
15%
Source: Bridging the Sciences Survey, 2006
Charlton Research Company for Research!America
Public Trust in Sources of
Research Information
As you are probably aware, there are many sources of information about medical
and health research issues. For each of these sources, I’d like you to tell me how
trustworthy you think the information they provide is? (% responses trustworthy)
Nurses
96%
Pharmacists
95%
Your Physician
95%
Medical Schools and Teaching Hospitals
93%
Your Dentist
92%
Voluntary Health Agencies
89%
Government Agencies (such as NIH and CDC)
83%
The Internet
56%
Media Sources
55%
Pharmaceutical Companies
53%
Source: National Survey, 2005
Charlton Research Company for Research!America
Americans Want More Spent on
Public Health Research
Currently, the U.S. spends about one cent of every health care dollar
on prevention and public health research. How many cents of each
health dollar do you think we SHOULD spend?
67%
3 cents or more
2 cents
10%
1 cent
10%
Don't know
13%
Source: National Survey, 2006
Charlton Research Company for Research!America
Investing in Health Can Change the World
If the U.S. decided to invest in one thing to really make a difference in the world,
what do you think that one thing should be? (first mentions)
Gas prices/energy
issues/alternative fuels
18%
Health
care/medicine/cures
16%
Reduce
homelessness/poverty
12%
11%
World peace/peace in Iraq
8%
Education
Improve/protect
environment
Help our own people
Economy/jobs
Attitudes: Global Health Research
Charlton Research for Research!America, 2006
6%
5%
4%
Americans Willing to Pay for
Global Health Research
Would you still agree that the United States government spends too little on
research designed to improve health around the world if you were told it would
mean slightly higher taxes or less money available for other spending priorities?
(Only includes those who responded “too little” n=621)
16%
84%
Yes, still agree we
spend too little
No, think we
shouldn't spend
more afterall
Attitudes: Global Health Research
Charlton Research for Research!America, 2006
Important to Eliminate Health Disparities
Studies show that certain health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and
infant mortality happen more often among minorities or citizens with lower
incomes. How important do you feel it is to conduct medical or health research to
understand and eliminate these differences?
1%
8%
91%
Important
Not important
Don't know
Source: National Poll, 2006
Charlton Research Company for Research!America
Public Concerns About Research
What concerns, if any, do you have about medical and health
research?
First mentions
No concerns/don’t know
36%
Wasting money
9
Government involvement
6
Profit driven
5
Not enough funding
5
Finding a cure for diseases
4
Research is needed
4
Finding a cure to cancer
3
Stem cells
3
It takes too long
3
Other
22
Source: National Survey, 2006
Charlton Research Company for Research!America
Very Important for U.S. to Educate and Train
Researchers
How important is it for the U.S. to educate and train individuals
qualified to conduct medical, health and scientific research?
1%
6%
Very
56%
Somewhat
Not
37%
Source: Your Candidates-Your Health Survey, 2006
Charlton Research Company for Research!America
Don't know
Americans Oppose Cuts to CDC Budget
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is charged with protecting
the health and safety of Americans. The President has proposed to cut the CDC’s
core programs by about 4% for the second year in a row. Do you support or
oppose the President’s 2007 budget proposal that cuts funding for the CDC by
4%?
6%
Oppose
63%
31%
Support
Don't know
Source: Your Candidates-Your Health Survey, 2006
Charlton Research Company for Research!America
Americans Want More Media Coverage of
Science and Research
Would you like to see more, less or about the same amount of
information about science and research in the media?
2%
5%
More
23%
70%
Same
Less
Don't know
Source: Bridging the Sciences Survey, 2006
Charlton Research Company for Research!America
Media Attention
• Policymakers respond
to media
• Constituents learn from
the media
• Media attention can
create public pressure
PARADE/Research!America Poll
“What Americans Think About
Medical Research” March 21, 2004
“Elections have a way
of sorting things out.”
The Honorable John Edward Porter
Research!America Chair
Election Day is
November 4!
The New York Times: The Words They Used
“If you listened to the speeches in Denver
and St. Paul, you might have noticed a
conspicuous absence—there was very
little talk about science at the conventions.
Maybe a passing mention of health care or
global warming here and there in the
speeches, but little or no talk of
embryonic stem cell research or the
funding for our research institutions like
the National Institutes of Health.”
—Ira Flatow, host of “Science Friday,” on the
Sept. 5 broadcast “Health and the Election.”
Guest:
Mary
Woolley
“Increasing the focus on prevention and
wellness is a critical part of my health
care plan. Under my plan, we will realize
tremendous savings within the health
care system from, among other things,
improvements in prevention and
management of chronic conditions.”
“I believe that the CDC plays a critical
role in our nation’s health care and
national security infrastructure, and I will
ensure the CDC has the resources it
needs to fulfill its public health mission.”
– Sen. Barack Obama, in his response to the 2008
Your Candidates-Your Health voter education
initiative.
“Focusing on prevention and wellness is
an important aspect of my health care
plan.”
“I strongly support funding for CDC. CDC
plays an important role in not only
promoting better health for Americans
through better management of chronic
care diseases and encouraging healthier
lifestyle habits but also strengthens our
homeland security by combating
bioterrorism threats, pandemics and
promoting emergency preparedness.”
– Sen. John McCain, in his response to the 2008
Your Candidates-Your Health voter education
initiative.
Invitations are also being
extended to all 2008
Congressional candidates
after each state’s
Congressional primary.
More than 240 Congressional
candidates have already
responded.
Our Partners in Your Candidates-Your Health
www.researchamerica.org
www.yourcandidatesyourhealth.org
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