Washington, D.C . – August 23, 2021 – The Milken Institute’s Center for Strategic Philanthropy today announced the opening of a comment period on its recently released resource aimed at increasing autoantibody screening for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). The goal is to ensure stakeholders including funders, researchers, industry, policymakers, and patient groups can contribute to the implementation of effective screening. This resource was generously funded by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
Once commonly known as juvenile diabetes, T1D is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. The disease affects people of all ages and can cause numerous negative and lifelong health consequences. Currently, there is no means of preventing or curing T1D, but screening for T1D autoantibodies, especially in the pediatric years, can play an important role in diagnosing the disease early, preventing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening condition, and aiding in the development of therapeutics to prevent or delay T1D.
“It’s critical to make space to hear from the T1D community and those who’ve been working to screen for, diagnose, and treat T1D,” said Melissa Stevens , executive director of the Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy. “The leadership of the Helmsley Charitable Trust and the insights of the wider T1D community will pave the way for a healthier life for those with T1D.”
“For the Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Type 1 Diabetes Program, our single most important criterion for funding any project or initiative is that it must have the potential for significant impact,” said Anne Koralova , PhD, program officer for the Helmsley Charitable Trust’s T1D Program. “Because of the life-changing—and sometimes life-saving—impact of screening, the Milken Institute’s roadmap undoubtedly meets this criterion. The public comment period will enable all those who care about this issue to share their insight so that we stand the best chance of making the biggest difference in the future.”
The Milken Institute welcomes feedback on the roadmap to increase antibody screening of T1D in the form of comments through the survey linked on this page. The roadmap was developed and released in April 2021. It included substantial input from a variety of stakeholder groups across the T1D research, clinical, and nonprofit community, as well as decision makers in preventive health policy. The aim of the open comment period is to gain insight from the community on the relevance of the goals and action items in the roadmap.
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About The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the US and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $3 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. The Helmsley Type 1 Diabetes Program is one of the largest private foundation funders of T1D in the nation focused on understanding the disease, developing better treatments, and improving care and access. For more information on Helmsley and its programs, visit helmsleytrust.org .
About the Milken Institute
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that helps people build meaningful lives in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities. For more information, visit milkeninstitute.org .
About the Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy
The Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy advises individuals and foundations seeking to develop and implement transformational giving strategies. In addition, we provide resources and leadership to make the philanthropic landscape more effective. Our vision is for a more effective philanthropic ecosystem where dollars are spent strategically, donors realize the impact they seek, and people and the planet thrive. Visit http://philanthropy.milkeninstitute.org/ .
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